339
Evaluation of Ecological Effects of the North Sea
necessary to decrease the fishing mortality of sandeel as well”. Their concerns about
lack of food for fish are mirrored by Greenstreet et al. (1997) who state “The food
requirements of piscivorous demersal fish also do not appear to be adequately supplied
from within the North Sea, but, in this case, immigration is not though to provide the
shortfall”. Our analysis supports the view of the above authors that ecosystem
difficulties are occurring in the North Sea.
Given that there is a lack of food and given that sandeel constitutes the main
element of the diet of the most important human consumption species, the
precautionary principle should be applied to the North Sea sandeel fishery to limit the
catches. This will ensure that food is made more readily available to other fish, birds
and mammals within the system.
This could be achieved by various means i.e.
1) the closure of the Dogger Bank, Wee Bankie and Buchan areas of the North
Sea
2) Realising the importance of the whole of the western side of the North Sea to
major world class breeding colonies of seabirds and of mammals and not least
to human consumption fish stocks, the imposition of a “sandeel median line”
along the 4 degree east longitude line westwards of which all fishing for
sandeel should be banned may be a useful measure
3) Further being mindful of the very great importance of the sea west of Jutland,
Denmark for the rearing of juvenile cod which feed on sandeel, although
apparently to a lesser extent than older cod, it is suggested that the sandeel
catch be limited in this area
4) A precautionary TAC set at an agreed limit lower than the recent catch
average
Such possible precautionary approaches to the problem fall in line with FAO's recent
guidelines on the precautionary approach to capture fisheries (FAO, 1995).
The sandeel stock assessment requires greater accuracy. Only then can more
robust conclusions be made on the percentage outtake of sandeel by predators. Until
such time, the precautionary principle should be applied to limit the catch.
It would appear that a new thinking is required as to how we consider the
North Sea fish stocks. The portioning of food requirements of the human consumption
species must include the forward calculation which accounts for the future food needs
of an increased stock size. It is essential that larger stock sizes do not eat themselves
down or suffer lack of food and thus negate their increase through improved
management structures. The only method by which this may be achieved is by ensuring
1) that the high lipid species (i.e. sandeel, Norway pout, herring and sprat) are
available in as high quantities as possible as food for the human consumption
species
Evaluation of Ecological Effects of the North Sea
necessary to decrease the fishing mortality of sandeel as well”. Their concerns about
lack of food for fish are mirrored by Greenstreet et al. (1997) who state “The food
requirements of piscivorous demersal fish also do not appear to be adequately supplied
from within the North Sea, but, in this case, immigration is not though to provide the
shortfall”. Our analysis supports the view of the above authors that ecosystem
difficulties are occurring in the North Sea.
Given that there is a lack of food and given that sandeel constitutes the main
element of the diet of the most important human consumption species, the
precautionary principle should be applied to the North Sea sandeel fishery to limit the
catches. This will ensure that food is made more readily available to other fish, birds
and mammals within the system.
This could be achieved by various means i.e.
1) the closure of the Dogger Bank, Wee Bankie and Buchan areas of the North
Sea
2) Realising the importance of the whole of the western side of the North Sea to
major world class breeding colonies of seabirds and of mammals and not least
to human consumption fish stocks, the imposition of a “sandeel median line”
along the 4 degree east longitude line westwards of which all fishing for
sandeel should be banned may be a useful measure
3) Further being mindful of the very great importance of the sea west of Jutland,
Denmark for the rearing of juvenile cod which feed on sandeel, although
apparently to a lesser extent than older cod, it is suggested that the sandeel
catch be limited in this area
4) A precautionary TAC set at an agreed limit lower than the recent catch
average
Such possible precautionary approaches to the problem fall in line with FAO's recent
guidelines on the precautionary approach to capture fisheries (FAO, 1995).
The sandeel stock assessment requires greater accuracy. Only then can more
robust conclusions be made on the percentage outtake of sandeel by predators. Until
such time, the precautionary principle should be applied to limit the catch.
It would appear that a new thinking is required as to how we consider the
North Sea fish stocks. The portioning of food requirements of the human consumption
species must include the forward calculation which accounts for the future food needs
of an increased stock size. It is essential that larger stock sizes do not eat themselves
down or suffer lack of food and thus negate their increase through improved
management structures. The only method by which this may be achieved is by ensuring
1) that the high lipid species (i.e. sandeel, Norway pout, herring and sprat) are
available in as high quantities as possible as food for the human consumption
species