DENMARK
New package of measures to revive the Danish coastal fishery
Small fishing villages should benefit too Falling numbers of coastal fishers and the disappearance of several fishing harbours due to a lack of activity have prompted parties in the Danish parliament to launch a series of initiatives intended to bolster this segment of the fishing sector and secure its long-term future.
J
ust over 2,360 Danish vessels were registered at the end of 2015. Of these nearly 900 were inactive, that is, they did not record any landing value. Of the remainder, 541 were commercial vessels, meaning they landed more than the threshold of EUR36,000, while almost 960 vessels were non-commercial, landing less than the threshold value. In terms of capacity, tonnage and engine power (measure in kilowatts), the commercial segment dominated the fleet with over 80 of the total tonnage and close to 70 of the total power. The Danish fishery is highly diverse in terms of species targeted, vessel sizes, and gears used. There is an important fishery for industrial species, the value of which amounted to just under a third of the total value of Danish landings. The remaining value can be attributed to pelagic and demersal species for human consumption including finfish, crustaceans, and molluscs. Fishing vessels are divided into multiple length classes by the Danish AgriFish Agency. The biggest vessels in the fleet are responsible for the bulk of the catches. Vessels above 18 m, 140 in number, take almost four fifths of the total landed value of DKK3.4bn (EUR456m), and vessels above 40 m catch almost half the total value, according to the latest report on the Danish fishing fleet from the AgriFish Agency.
The fleet uses a variety of gears including dredgers, passive gears, purse seines, pelagic trawls, beam trawls, as well as demersal trawls and demersal seines. Of these, demersal trawls and demersal seines are responsible for almost half (45) the total value of landings, while pelagic trawls catch 31. In terms of landed volumes, the largest vessels, those 40 m and above in length, catch two thirds of the total using purse seines, pelagic trawls, demersal trawls and demersal seines.
Introduction of tradeable quotas brought huge changes The Danish fleet has been significantly restructured starting in 2003, when individual transferable quotas (ITQ) were introduced in the herring fishery, and continuing for the next four years with the introduction of ITQs in the other pelagic fisheries, and of vessel quota shares (VQS) in the demersal fisheries. This brought about a reduction in capacity in terms of numbers (-19), tonnage (-9) and power (-20), which was in line with the objectives of the (at the time) new management system. These sought to increase the sustainable exploitation of fish stocks and reduce discards; to enable the individual fisher to better plan fishing activities; and to increase the profitability of the fleet. The fleet management system further ensures that
Allan Buch wears several hats. He serves on the boards of a bank, a fishermen’s insurance company, a waste water company, and on the municipality council, in addition to being the chairman of Bælternes Fiskeriforening. He is also a fisherman.
capacity stays within the legally defined limits. However, the new management system contributed to the consolidation of fishery activities in the larger Danish harbours and the greater concentration of quotas and fishing capacity in the hands of fewer fishermen. Fishing and related activities are important sources of employment directly and indirectly in many coastal communities, where small fishing harbours can attract tourists and thereby contribute to the local economy. The difficulties young people face in becoming fishermen is another cause of concern as it presages the hollowing out of the fishing segment. Allan Buch, the chairman of Bælternes Fiskeriforening (the
Belts’ fisheries association) that is based in Middelfart on west Fyn, has observed first hand some of the changes in the Danish fisheries sector, first as a young fisherman and then over the 20 odd years that he has been chairman. When his fishing activities were hit by sustained low prices and then by predators, Mr Buch put the fishery on hold and went to university instead, coming back some years later to become the chairman of the local association and to restart his fishing activities. But for many fishers going out and getting a degree may not be a viable option. If prices fall and stay down or if predators prove an overwhelming menace this may drive fishers from the business.
Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2017
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