Total marine fisheries extractions by country in the Baltic Sea

Catch (t)
Total marine fisheries extractions by country in the Baltic Sea: 1950-present, Rossing, Booth and Zeller 239
whole time period 1950-2007 and varied between approximately 20 and 95 t∙year -1 (Figure 5b).
Salmon discards were 60 t∙year -1 prior to 1980 (Figure 5b). The increase in seal populations after 1980
lead to an increase of salmon discarding, peaking during the 1990s with average discards of around 220
t∙year -1 (Figure 5b), of which 85% was discarded due to seals. Seal-safe gear, such as ‗push-up‘ traps,
contributed to a decline of total discards, averaging 110 t∙year -1 from 2003-2007.
The estimated recreational catches of salmon increased steadily from 20 t in 1950, to the peak catches of
about 300 t in 2002 (Figure 5b). Thereafter, recreational catches declined to about 140 t in 2007.
The total reconstructed catches of salmon were 48% larger than ICES landings statistics 1950-2007. In
recent years (2003-2007) the reconstructed catches of salmon were on average 93% larger than ICES
landings statistics (Appendix Table A5).
Flatfishes
ICES landings statistics were quite stable during
the first two decades with an average of about
1,000 t∙year -1 (Figure 6a). In the late 1960s, ICES
landings statistics started to decrease and reached
their lowest reported landings in the 1980s of
about 300 t∙year -1 . From the mid 1980s until the
mid 1990s ICES landings statistics were quite
stable. Landings then increased three-fold within
two years to a peak of 1,500 t by 1996 before
decreasing again (Figure 6a). After 2000 the
landings were about 400 t∙year -1 (Figure 6a).
ICES landings statistics were adjusted by ICES
stock assessment working group data for flounder,
and with Swedish national data for flounder, dab
and turbot. Most adjustments were minor, except
for the period around 1970 (Figure 6b). Overall,
adjustments added 2% to reported landings as per
ICES.
Estimated unreported flatfish landings were
relatively low during the whole time period 1950-
2007, likely reflecting the relatively low market
value of these species, and varied between about
20 and 160 t∙year -1 (Figure 6b). Prior to 1970 the
estimated discards averaged 700 t∙year -1 (Figure
6b). Since the discard rate was kept fixed for most
of the time period, discard tonnage decreased to around 200 t∙year -1 during the 1980s, when landings were
small. Thereafter, they increased with increased landings during the 1990s to an average of 500 t∙year -1 .
After 1998 discards were larger than the reported landings and peaked in 2005 at about 1,400 t (Figure
6b), of which 97% was discarded flounder.
Estimated recreational flatfish catches made up a substantial part of the reconstructed likely total catch
(Figure 6b). The average recreational catches were 600 t∙year -1 prior to 1980, 1,600 t∙year -1 during the
1980s, and 2,400 t∙year -1 during the 1990s when they peaked. In recent years (2003-2007), the estimated
recreational catches were, on average, 500 t∙year -1 (Figure 6b).
The total estimated reconstructed catches of flatfish were almost 2.7 times larger than ICES landings
statistics from 1950-2007. For the more recent years, reconstructed data suggest that likely total catches
were about 3.6 times larger then reported landings (Figure 6b, Appendix Table A6).
Sea trout
2,000
1,600
1,200
800
400
ICES landings statistics
0
6,0001950 b) 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
5,000
Recreational
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
a)
Adjustments
ICES landings statistics
+ adjustments
Unreported
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
Discards
Figure 6. Swedish flatfish landings in the Baltic Sea 1950-2007:
a) ICES landings statistics and adjustments; b) Sweden‘s
reconstructed flatfish catches in the Baltic Sea.