Lennart Arvidsson has been a professional fisherman for over 50 years and during the summer he usually fishs several tonnes of herring. But this year it looks different.

- Normally we would have come ashore this afternoon with freshly caught herring that had gone to industry. Now we have been here ashore for two months, he says.

Received no exemption

Earlier this year, the EU decided to impose a ban on herring fishing in the Baltic Sea for four months this summer in order for the Baltic cod to recover during the spawning period.

The coastal municipalities of Sölvesborg, Simrishamn and Karlskrona joined forces in a joint letter to try to get the government to give the local fishermen an exemption from the fishing ban.

But the Minister of Rural Affairs Jenni Nilsson (S) declined the meeting.

- I thought it would go from the beginning but you were naive, says Lennart Arvidsson.

Forced to stop fishing

For Lennart Arvidsson, this means that he now does not fish at all but instead helps his son with his internet company.

- You almost get sad to go to the boat and see it lying by the quay when you are used to fishing all summer, he says.

According to him, coastal fishing does not disturb the cod and he wanted to prove it to the EU by putting cameras on the boat and filming while fishing. Instead, it now looks like he has to go ashore.

- You have to put an end to this. It is a stop this year and there will be a stop next summer so it is over, he says.