Historic Agreement To Ban Discards In Skagerrak

All three Ministers stated that they intend to introduce a draft prohibition by 1 January 2013, meaning that fishermen must land their catches. They also noted that, as a result of the ban on discards, higher quotas for the area have been set.

Swedish rural Minister, Eskil Erlandsson, stated: "The EU's fisheries policy has largely not held up and not lived up to sustainable fisheries management. Me and my Nordic colleagues have therefore decided to prohibit the disposal of fish caught in the ocean that would not survive. Discarding is a waste of good, wholesome food and undermines efforts being made to bring about the sustainable management of fish stocks."

Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, stated: “A ban on discards in Skagerrak marks a milestone in our efforts to ensure sustainable management of our joint marine resources.”

“I hope this will also have a positive impact on other waters and that we are able to influence reforms in the right direction. We are now working on behalf of future fishermen and consumers of seafood."

“This is something that I have been particularly focused on, and I am delighted that we can now sign a joint political declaration firmly establishing that discarding of fish is incompatible with sustainable management of our common marine resources."

“We are seeing the issue of discards on the agenda both regionally and globally. In this context, Norway, Sweden and Denmark wish to be in the forefront by implementing a ban on discards in the waters of Skagerrak. While Skagerrak geographically speaking is a small ocean area, it is nevertheless important for those living around the coasts in the area and for fishermen from our three countries,” adds Lisbeth Berg-Hansen."