“There is more cod available. And our fishermen are now noticing this too. So much so that the current quota for this year has been reached there. As soon as the quota for one species has been used up, it is no longer possible to fish there,” says the Minister of Fisheries. Hilde Crevits (CD&V).
Fishermen are no longer allowed to fish for cod, but it also poses a problem if other species are fished and there is still cod in the nets. “That has a major impact on our fishermen, including those who fish for shrimp and squid, for example,” says Crevits. “Because shrimp fishermen and coastal fishermen are not active in the northern part of the North Sea and therefore catch little cod, an exception for shrimp will be introduced for them before midnight. Precisely to avoid these situations, I asked the European Council last week to take into account the experience of the fishermen and to use recent figures.”