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The Danish Fisheries Association has recommended increasing nephrops allocations
The Danish Fisheries Association hopes that in the coming week, a few more nephrops can be caught by the fleet as COVID-19 restricitions are lifted and markets reopen.
After suffering a shutdown of the Norway lobster fishing in late March, Danish prawn trawlers have been mainly tied-up in port on the recommendations of the Fisheries Association after the market for the shellfish collapsed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
With the prawn boats out of action, many skippers and crew members were forced to seek employment in other fisheries and with many heading to the sandeel fisheries which have been experiencing a good season.
Last week a skipper of a Danish nephrops boat said “Unfortunately, the fishing is bad and the prices are bad. I have tied-up my boat in the harbour for a month and I am now on a big pelagic trawler for that month.”
This is the scale of problems facing the industry, plus last week the Danish Fisheries Agency announced it had selected fifteen fishing vessels operating in the Kattegat have been selected to be installed with REM cameras in a project that will eventually see all fishing boats being installed with this type of technology. Danish fishermen have objected to the move and are currently seeking legal advice on the issue.
Whether the increase in quota will help fishers is another question because prices for Norway Lobster averaged at €3.37 per kilo last week.
The recommendation of the Danish Fisheries Association is to follow a recommendation from the nephrops committee. The allocations have been increased compared to weeks 22 and 23. This is because demand has risen slightly and is expected to rise quite slowly over time, subject to further easing of the COVID-19 restrictions.
This means that from Monday, 8 June to Sunday, 14 June nehrops boats have been recommended to land the following allocations:
Vessels under 12 m:
- 700 kg Norway lobsters
- 200 kg of small Norway lobsters
Vessels over 12 m and under 19 m:
- 1000 kg Norway lobsters
- 300 kg of small Norway lobsters
Vessels over 19 m:
- 1,300 kg Norway lobsters
- 400 kg of small Norway lobsters
The allocations apply to everyone , and it is up to the fishermen to plan and carry out the fishing themselves.
The Norway Lobster Committee advised that the market is expected to have difficulty taking large landings.
The Norway Lobster Committee will meet again on Wednesday, 10 June to submit a recommendation to the Danish Fisheries Association on fishing in week 25.
