A New Course for Danish Fisheries — or just more of the same?

So, once again, it’s time to revisit the now almost-glamorously long-running saga of “A New Course for Danish Fisheries.” Since our last update, the following things have happened…

Number 1.

Denmark has been reported to the EU Court of Justice by the Danish Society for Nature Conservation and other European NGOs. The reason? Denmark fails to sufficiently protect its Natura 2000 marine areas. The official regulations clearly state that these areas must receive strong protection — and if activities like fishing are to take place, they must be documented and monitored to ensure no fundamental harm is done to the ecosystems under protection. And, of course, Denmark has never done that. Otherwise, fishing with bottom trawls wouldn’t still be allowed in the Skagerrak and Wadden Sea Natura 2000 areas…

Number 2.

The Danish government wants to introduce an economic loophole in the protection of Natura 2000 areas. And here, honestly — WTF? The idea is to allow bottom-trawl fishing in protected marine nature, as long as the fishery generates an annual revenue of at least one million DKK. Seriously? Must the economy always override nature protection — especially when there’s overwhelming evidence that restoring and protecting marine habitats actually improves fisheries and boosts long-term economic value?

Not exactly cheerful news

No, this isn’t exactly cheerful news. But it’s essential we stay informed about what’s happening with “A New Path for Danish Fisheries.”

The entire process now seems stalled — partly because the government offered fishers an exemption from the CO₂ tax. That exemption has created a budget hole, leaving no funding to move things forward. The minister is now in a tough spot, and the opposition refuses to engage. On one hand, we’d like to see a resolution, but on the other, we don’t want to end up with a deal that isn’t ambitious enough when it comes to nature and low-impact fisheries.