Total marine fisheries extractions by country in the Baltic Sea

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Total marine fisheries extractions by country in the Baltic Sea: 1950-present, Rossing, Booth and Zeller 39
DENMARK’S MARINE FISHERIES CATCHES IN THE BALTIC SEA
(1950-2007) 1
Sarah Bale, Peter Rossing, Shawn Booth and Dirk Zeller
Sea Around Us Project, Fisheries Centre
University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4, Canada; email:
s.bale@fisheries.ubc.ca; p.rossing@fisheries.ubc.ca; s.booth@fisheries.ubc.ca; d.zeller@fisheries.ubc.ca
ABSTRACT
Denmark‘s fisheries activities in the Baltic Sea from 1950-2007 were estimated using a ‗catch
reconstruction‘ technique. Using ICES landing statistics as reported landings baseline, we used other
available data sources to estimate for Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) catch components: data
source ‗adjustments‘ to reported landings, estimates of ‗unreported‘ (‗unallocated‘) catches, ‗discards‘, and
‗recreational catches‘. ICES landing statistics report approximately 6.8 million tonnes of Danish fish
landings in the Baltic Sea from 1950-2007, and our reconstruction estimates an additional increase of 41%
to reflect total marine resource exploitation. Cod (Gadus morhua) accounted for 1.5 million tonnes of this
2.7 million tonne increase, mainly through unreported landings. We believe this reconstruction remains a
conservative estimate. Improved data collection, full transparency and accountability, 100% observer
coverage on fishing vessels, and Vessel Monitoring Systems are some strategies that Denmark should
initiate to reduce illegal fishing.
INTRODUCTION
Denmark is located on the boundary of the
Baltic and North Seas (Figure 1). Jutland, the
main peninsula of Denmark, extends
northward dividing the Skagerrak from the
Kattegat, which connects to the Baltic Sea
through the Danish Sound and Belts. The
Danish archipelago is comprised of many
islands, with the most easterly being
Bornholm, some 180 km southeast of
Copenhagen. Denmark has a total land area of
approximately 43,000 km 2 and a population
of about 5.4 million (UN, 2009). Historically,
Denmark controlled Greenland, Iceland, and
the Faroe Islands, but ties between Iceland
and Denmark were severed during WWII, and
both the Faroe Islands and Greenland have
since gained home rule. Denmark joined the
European Union (EU) in 1973 and has a
strong market economy.
Sweden
Denmark
23
25
24
22
Germany
27
30
26
Poland
28-2
29
RF
31
28-1
Finland
Latvia
Lithuania
32
Estonia
Russian
Federation
(RF)
0 200 400 Km
N
Though fisheries contribute only 0.5% of the
GDP, they have been integral to the
livelihoods of communities in north and west
Jutland, and the island of Bornholm (Anon.,
2007c). Detailed records of cod (Gadus
Figure 1. Map of the Baltic Sea with ICES subdivisions and
surrounding countries. Denmark‘s coastline borders ICES
subdivisions 22, 23, 24 and 25.
morhua), salmon (Salmo salar), and herring (Clupea harengus) landings in Bornholm date as far back as
the late 1800s (Bager et al., 2007). The Baltic Sea is the third most important fishing area for Denmark
1 Cite as: Bale, S., Rossing, P., Booth, S., and Zeller, D. (2010) Denmark‘s marine fisheries catches in the Baltic Sea (1950-2007). pp.
39-62. In: Rossing, P., Booth, S. and Zeller, D. (eds.), Total marine fisheries extractions by country in the Baltic Sea: 1950-present.
Fisheries Centre Research Reports 18 (1). Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Canada [ISSN 1198-6727].