The herring crisis: Finnish boats made huge catches in the Bothnian Sea a few years ago

Swedish fishermen along the Norrland coast have for many years warned of the large-scale fishing that takes place out on the Bothnian Sea, especially with large trawlers fishing for fishmeal production for the fish farming industry.

Huge catches

A review of the catch statistics from the International Council of Sea Fisheries ICES provides a clear picture of the situation.

During the period 2012 - 2017, the Finnish boats caught over 90 thousand tonnes of herring annually in the Bothnian Sea, which is historically a huge catch.

Going back to the 80s, the catches were at a third of those levels and often even lower.

At the same time, Swedish boats fish a fraction of what Finnish boats catch.

During the period 2012 - 2017, the Swedish catches were between six thousand and 22 thousand tonnes.

Declining trend

The latest figures from 2020 show significantly lower catches for both Swedish and Finnish boats, but the distribution remains uneven.

The Finnish boats caught 59,357 tons while the Swedish ones only got 12082 tons.

The trend has been declining since 2016 when the Finnish fishery caught a record 103,432 tonnes of herring.

Frustrated fishermen along the Norrland coast are now calling for action from the government and receiving support from the Maritime and Water Authority, which agrees that something must be done.

- We are dependent on our neighbors, we own the fisheries policy together, says Minister of Rural Affairs Anna-Caren Sätherberg (S) when it comes to measures to limit fishing pressure.

What is the government doing?

- Sweden must introduce measures directly to protect both ecosystems and coastal fishing.

Fishing in the Baltic Sea should be based on smaller boats that are locally anchored and depart and land in the same port, says Beatrice Rindevall at the independent foundation Baltic Waters2030, which works for a healthier Baltic Sea.

She believes that the government has good opportunities to act.

- The time to save the Baltic Sea fish stocks is scarce.

Fishing pressure must be reduced and measures introduced immediately.