Fishermen were particularly angered by cuts in the catch of species that are not in particular danger, such as sole or North Sea shrimp. The cuts will reduce the catch of hake in waters from northern Spain to the mouth of the Baltic Sea to 22,600 tons, from 42,000 tons. However, thanks in part to intense lobbying by Spain, the catch will more than double that originally proposed by the EU executive body. Spain has tried to modify the efforts so the reduction is not so traumatic as to shut down the fleet. In the North Sea, where the quota cuts are linked to a Dec. 1 EU agreement with Norway, the total cod catch will fall from 81,000 tons this year to 48,600 tons in 2001.
Scientists believe North Sea cod is one of the species under greatest threat.
They say stringent protection measures are needed to prevent fishing communities there from facing a similar fate to those on Canada's Atlantic seaboard, where the government imposed a moratorium on fishing in the early 1990s because of depleted stocks, throwing thousands out of work. Ministers are scheduled to meet again next month to consider other protection measures.