Cod stocks in the waters between southern Sweden and Denmark, known as the Kattegatt, are set for a severe reduction, that’s the warning from researchers at the Swedish Board of Fisheries.
According to data collected by the board, no cod have spawned in the Kattegatt this year due in large part to overfishing in the area.
A conclusion rejected by the Swedish fishing industry.
Speaking to Swedish Radio News, a spokesman for the Swedish Fishermen’s Federation cast doubt on the board’s findings and categorically ruled out that any reduction in cod stocks in the waters between Sweden and Denmark are caused by overfishing.
Viking Bengtsson of the federation argued that poor weather had resulted in a significantly reduced catch this year, adding that any reduction in cod’s ability to reproduce was more likely to have been caused by agricultural run-off from the land and other environmental factors.
The research comes as European Union fisheries ministers meet in Brussels to hammer out a deal on fishing quotas.
