Fiskbranschens Sweden Eastern Baltic cod

MSC status

Certified as sustainable in June 2011. 

Summary

Species: Cod (Gadus morhua)
Location: ICES areas 25 – 31 (Eastern Baltic Sea).
Fishing methods: Trawl (otter and mid-water), fish trap and long lining.
Vessels: 55 Trawlers, 5-6 Longliner & 3 fish trap
Number of fisheries: 1

More about cod

Cod are distributed widely throughout European waters, there are a number of separate and isolated populations that form local stocks. Spawning and recruitment success of cod in the eastern Baltic Sea depend at great extent of environmental conditions. Spawning is confined to deep areas where salinities are sufficiently high to allow egg fertilisation and to keep fertilised eggs float and sufficient oxygen content in deep saline water layer is crucial to egg survival.

Adult stages of cod feed mostly on sprat and herring and juvenile cod suffer also from cannibalism. The extent of cannibalism might differ depending on predator abundance and juvenile concentration, which depend upon the habitat volume occupied and the overall abundance of cod.

More about the fishing methods

The demersal or bottom otter trawl is a towed fishing gear designed and rigged to have bottom contact during fishing, towed by large trawl vessels, typically in excess of 15m.

Longlines are marked by Dhan buoys with vessel identification and radar reflector. Longline fishing is a method consisting of a long line, onto which leaders are fixed at regular intervals (usually every 2-2.5 metres) (Figure 2.4). Attached to these are hooks with some sort of bait on them.

The traps, or traps, in use are based on the Norwegian two-chamber trap. The trap is made of three frames covered by netting. The bottom frame is made from steel and has some weight; the other two frames are typically aluminium. Floats are attached to the upper panel to erect the trap when deployed. Two cone-shaped entrances lead fish into the bottom chamber and a wedge shaped entrance allows fish to enter the upper chamber. Herring is used to bait the traps.

Fishery tonnage

8,901 mt in 2009

Commercial market

The fish is mainly landed in the ports of Karlskrona and Simrishamn.It is then sold to the fresh market or for processing. Historically, most of it has been processed for export markets.

Actual eligibility date

1st November 2010