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Greifswald (dpa) - According to experts, the stock of the herring in the western Baltic Sea, which is important for the north-east German fishery, could continue to decline.
According to the Thünen Institute for Baltic Sea Fisheries, 2020 was the worst year for herring offspring in 30 years.
At that time, investigations into the production of youngsters in the Greifswalder Bodden began, said institute director Christopher Zimmermann of the German press agency.
The area is considered to be the nursery of the herring of the western Baltic Sea.
Zimmermann called the results of the investigation "the sheer catastrophe".
Warmer temperatures in winter are the main cause of the decline.
Because stocks have been shrinking for years, the permitted catches have been reduced more and more, according to Zimmermann by 94 percent since 2017. "Four or five years ago we were able to fish 220 tons, and now I'm allowed to fish 8 - nothing more," said the gillnet fisherman Dirk Baumann from Western Pomerania.
According to Zimmermann, the quota for the western cod, which is important for Schleswig-Holstein, has been reduced by almost 90 percent in recent years.
In both federal states, the number of professional fishermen has decreased overall over the past few years.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210311-99-773675 / 2