Danish Fisheries Agency Issues Annual Inspections Report 2022

In 2022, the Danish Fisheries Agency conducted, among other things, 2,273 vessel inspections and 1,956 inspections of commercial fish landings totalling 3,101 tonnes, according to its annual Report.

The basis for the fishery inspections in 2022 was 49,030 fish landings with a total quantity of 640,996 tonnes. In the commercial fishery targeting demersal species such as plaice, cod, saithe, haddock, Norway lobster, and shrimp, 3,101 tonnes of fish were inspected out of a total quantity of landings of 57,548 tonnes. In the industrial fishery, which includes species such as sprat and blue whiting, 163 inspections were carried out on a total of 1,557 landings.

The Danish Fisheries Agency says it works systematically to strengthen fishery control by being present where and when fishing takes place and by keeping an eye on new control methods and technologies. This contributes to ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy and a sustainable fishery that can endure in the future. The annual report for fishery control in 2022 summarises the year’s activities and key figures.

Control of commercial fishing primarily takes place through vessel inspections at sea, inspections at the port during landing, and inspections at buyers’ premises.

 

Selected key figures for commercial fishing in 2022:

• A total of 2,273 vessel inspections were conducted, including 1,868 inspections at port landings and 405 inspections at sea.
• 57,548 tonnes of demersal fish species such as plaice, cod, saithe, haddock, Norway lobster, and shrimp were landed, of which 3,101 tonnes were inspected.
• There was a total of 45,254 commercial landings, of which 1,956 were inspected either at sea or during landing.
• In pelagic fishing, there were 528 landings of species such as herring, mackerel, and horse mackerel, and 45 landings were physically inspected.
• In the industrial fishery, which includes species such as sprat and blue whiting, there were 1,557 landings in 2022, of which 163 were inspected.

The Danish Fisheries Agency also monitors compliance with the rules for recreational fishing. Recreational fishing includes both angling and leisure fishing, using gear such as nets, in saltwater and freshwater.

 

Selected key figures for recreational fishing in 2022:

• A total of 193,326 fishing licenses and 27,504 leisure fishing permits were issued.
• 2,130 anglers were checked for valid fishing licenses.
• 383 violations were recorded, which may include illegal fishing of species subject to catch restrictions such as salmon or cod in the Baltic Sea.
• 1,076 illegal fishing gear were confiscated.

This is how the daily fishing control takes place

 

Inspections at Sea:

At-sea control is the classic discipline of fishery control, where fishing actually takes place. During at-sea control, the Danish Fisheries Agency’s inspection vessels can board fishing vessels using a boarding boat.

“In 2022, the Danish Fisheries Agency inaugurated the new patrol vessel ‘Nordsøen,’ replacing the 35-year-old control vessel ‘Vestkysten.’ The 64-metre-long vessel operates in the North Sea, Skagerrak, and Kattegat. With the new patrol vessel, the Danish Fisheries Agency is better equipped to conduct fishery inspections at sea. The essential aspect is to control how fish are actually caught, what is caught, and where it is caught. The control primarily includes fishing gear and catches. Therefore, it is important to be present before the catch is hauled on board,” says Hanne Juul Jensen, Captain of ‘Nordsøen.’

Landings Control:

Landings control involves inspecting the landed catch when fishing vessels have arrived in port. When a fisherman wants to land their catch in Danish ports, they are required to report their arrival before sailing in. This allows fishery control to receive the vessel upon arrival and conduct a landing inspection. The inspection includes verifying the species and quantity of the catch in the cargo hold and comparing it to the catch recorded in the vessel’s logbook.

“When a vessel is selected for landing inspection, our inspectors are ready on the quay when the vessel arrives. We go through the catch together with the captain and check if everything is recorded and deducted correctly from the quota. We ensure that the fish is stored in accordance with hygiene and safety requirements and take samples of the catch to verify the species, quantities, and minimum sizes. There are many rules to ensure sustainable fishing, and they can be complicated. Daily dialogue and guidance with the fishermen on how best to comply with the rules—and sometimes explaining why they exist—are also important aspects of our control task,” explains Tim Schjoldager Rasmussen, Deputy Fisheries Inspector in Regional Control West.

 

Control of Recreational Fishing:

Controlling recreational fishing is important to ensure that fishing is not done illegally in areas where, for example, salmon and trout migrate to reproduce.

“Control of recreational fishing is often carried out from our boats or one of our control vessels, with the assistance of drones used to fly over areas with shallow water and protected zones where fishing is prohibited. The patrol is conducted based on reports of illegal fishing and the history of illegal fishing in the local areas. If we find illegal gear that lacks marking or identification, it will be confiscated. In the case of angling, we ensure that catch limits for salmon and cod in the Baltic Sea are adhered to,” says Steen Majland, Deputy Fisheries Inspector in Regional Control East.”

Source: Press Release