THE North Sea and North Western Waters Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) are joining together to look at the issues which may be influencing cod recovery.
A joint working group has been formed, and will meet in September to plan a symposium, which is planned for Spring 2007.
The symposium will ask the basic question: Is Cod recoverable?
It will also address:
· What is the current state of Cod?
· What got us where we are now and can this position be reversed?
· What can now be done?
· Why is the present system of management not working?
The symposium will be interactive. Working groups addressing the main questions will follow keynote speakers. This format will provide the opportunity for all participants to become fully engaged in the meeting.
It is intended that the symposium will take a hard look at possible causes for the current decline in cod stocks, including fishing, climate change, predation and pollution. Participants will be encouraged to come up with practical plans for the future management of those fisheries catching cod.
Hugo Andersson, the chair of the Executive Committee of the North Sea RAC said today: “We want to bring together experts on all aspects of cod biology and behaviour to discuss with fishers how the state of cod stocks can be improved. We must lay the foundation for a proper review of cod recovery, making full use of international experience and expertise”.
Sam Lambourne, the chair of the Executive Committee of the North Western Waters RAC believes it is important that all aspects of cod recovery should be considered and debated. “We should not be adopting a narrow approach in considering how best to bring about cod recovery. We need to find out what has gone wrong with the cod stocks, and then consider how the RACs can work with the Commission to put things right”.
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