AGRIFISH Council meeting - challenges in the Baltic Sea region
14.07.2025
On 14 July 2025, on the sidelines of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Ministers from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Poland and Sweden discussed the challenges facing the European Union with regard to the growing number of great cormorants and grey seals in the Baltic Sea region. The meeting was organised by the Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture of the Republic of Estonia Hendrik Johannes. Poland was represented by the Secretary of State Jacek Czerniak.
In the last 25 years, the great cormorant population in Europe has increased nine times, while the grey seal population – four times. Therefore, the current losses caused by these fish-eating animals are a great burden for fishermen and aquaculture entities.
– The impact of great cormorants and seals on fish stocks is very high and is growing in many places, particularly in the Baltic Sea region. The multilateral and diversified impact of these predators, feeding on fish stocks, has been a competition for fishermen for many years. It also leads to conflicts between local communities of fishermen, who are unable to cope with this problem – said Deputy Minister Czerniak.
The Secretary of State Jacek Czerniak also reminded that on 3 June 2025 a conference on management advice to reduce cormorant predation impacts had been held in Brussels. The conference was organised by Poland in cooperation with the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission at FAO (EIFAAC).
– Currently, the EIFAAC is working on a document that will provide a framework for developing a European management plan for the great cormorant, and Poland supports this initiative – emphasised the Secretary of State.
The Ministers from the remaining Baltic states agreed on the significant impact of seals and cormorants on the fish population and aquaculture. At the same time, they pointed out that the existing strategies regarding cormorants had not brought any effects.
The European Ministers of Fisheries also stressed that the impact of cormorants and seals on fish stocks was regional. They announced that the discussion on measures in that area would continue during the coming AGRIFISH Council meetings.