The leader of the Danish Fishermen’s Association warns scrapping payments must be fast-tracked as coastal bottom trawling closures loom, citing past schemes and safety concerns
The chairman of the Danish Fishermen’s Association has warned that government closures of coastal bottom trawling grounds must be matched with immediate scrapping payments, or risk leaving fishermen stranded with unsafe and unviable vessels.
Political and Regulatory Background
The warning from Svend-Erik Andersen follows the conclusion of Denmark’s long-running and often fraught negotiations on the national fisheries package. The deal, finalised just before the summer break, contains a mix of concessions and restrictions for the industry.
Among its key provisions are the planned closures of bottom trawling in parts of the Belt Sea and other inshore waters — a measure that still requires EU approval to apply equally to Danish and foreign vessels. The closures are set to come into force in three years.
Alongside these restrictions, the agreement delays the introduction of a CO2 tax on fishing, which Andersen called “a great victory” after years of lobbying. Industry leaders have argued that such a tax, if implemented now, would have caused severe damage to the sector’s economic viability.
The CO2 Tax Dispute
The CO2 tax proposal had been on the table for several years, with environmental groups pushing for it as a tool to reduce emissions from the fishing fleet. The Danish fishing sector countered that the levy would add crippling costs while offering little incentive for realistic emission-reduction measures.
Andersen says the decision to postpone the tax is unrelated to the bottom trawling closures and was inserted into the package without consultation: “We were never asked whether we wanted the CO2 tax postponed in exchange for accepting closed areas.”
Industry Gains and Long-term Initiatives
The fisheries package also includes a commitment to create a fisheries partnership and a knowledge and development centre in Hirtshals, as well as an industry-led move towards more self-management in certain fisheries.
While these measures will not deliver immediate changes, Andersen views them as strategically important for the long-term resilience of Danish fisheries. Funds have also been allocated for development and restructuring, though the details of how they will be distributed are not yet public.
Concerns Over Symbolic Politics
Despite these gains, Andersen argues that the closures in inshore Danish waters are “symbolic politics” with questionable environmental benefit. He criticised the role of the Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives in supporting the restrictions, as well as other measures in the package such as reserving certain species for recreational fishing and failing to resolve the lack of generational renewal in the eel fishery.
SF politician Lisbeth Bech Nielsen claimed the agreement would result in “more coastal fishing”, a statement Andersen dismissed as misleading: “Instead, we’re going to start winding down a lot of coastal fishing with the new agreement – that’s a fact.”
The Case for Immediate Scrapping Support
Andersen’s most urgent concern is that the closures will render many vessels economically non-viable long before they are enforced, yet under current rules fishermen must remain active to qualify for scrapping subsidies.
“Who wants to invest in maintaining a vessel that will soon be scrapped?” he asked. “If you get damage that needs to be repaired, or a major investment is needed to keep the vessel safe and functional, will the bank provide money for a short lifespan? Hardly.”
He warned that this situation risks trapping fishermen in a dangerous position where they can neither fish profitably nor sell their vessels, leading to the possibility of compromised safety at sea.
Past Precedents for Scrapping Schemes
Denmark has used vessel decommissioning schemes before, most notably in the wake of the 2000s EU cod recovery plans and during quota reductions for certain inshore fisheries. In those cases, scrapping funds were rolled out quickly to avoid economic and safety crises in affected communities.
Andersen argues the same urgency must be applied now. Waiting until the closures formally take effect could leave coastal communities in limbo and push some operators into bankruptcy.
Call to Action
“It is urgent to implement the scrapping rounds contained in the political agreement,” Andersen said, urging that they be launched in autumn 2025. “When this is the decision you have made, you must also stand by it and get the money for scrapping approved quickly.”
