Other matters concerning regulation of fishing at sea for protection of marine areas

The election manifesto states that biological diversity must be protected and the transformation is going far too slowly, and the party programme demands strong protection of rich ecosystems as well as ambitious environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation. A general fishing ban in marine protected areas, with exceptions for fishing that does not affect conservation values, is exactly such a sharp measure.

• protect biological diversitydecisive»Vi måste lösa klimatkrisen och skydda den biologiska mångfalden – omställningen går alldeles för sakta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must solve the climate crisis and protect biological diversity – the transformation is going far too slowly.”
• sharp environmental legislation»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation and practical work.”
• strong area protection»behövs ett starkt skydd av skog med rika ekosystem« (party programme ↗)“strong protection is needed for forests with rich ecosystems”
• comprehensive ecosystem work»Sverige behöver också ett medvetet och heltäckande arbete med att« (party programme ↗)“Sweden also needs conscious and comprehensive work to”

The party programme establishes that biological diversity must be protected and that natural resources and ecosystems are today exploited beyond the limits of long-term sustainability, and requires a restructuring of fisheries policy. The election manifesto observes that species extinction is accelerating. The counter-proposal's demand for a general fishing ban in marine protected areas, with the exception of fishing that does not affect conservation values, follows from these commitments.

• protection of biological diversitydecisive»biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas.« (party programme ↗)“biological diversity must be protected.”
• restructured fisheries policy»också en omläggning av jordbruks- och fiskeripolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“also a restructuring of agriculture and fisheries policy.”
• species extinction must be halted»Samtidigt accelererar artdöden och den biologiska mångfalden hotas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, species extinction is accelerating and biological diversity is threatened.”
• stewardship within nature's boundaries»naturtillgångar och ekosystem utnyttjas i dag över gränsen för det långsiktigt hållbara« (party programme ↗)“natural resources and ecosystems are today exploited beyond the limits of long-term sustainability”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme explicitly specifies fishing-free areas and marine reserves as tools to increase protection of marine biodiversity, and the election manifesto wants to let ecosystems set the limits for fishing. The counter-proposal's requirement for a general fishing ban in all marine protected areas, with the exception of fishing that does not damage conservation values, is therefore directly in line with the plan. The plan also wants protection of the sea to be expanded and strengthened.

• fishing-free areasdecisive»Ett sätt att öka skyddet är att inrätta marina reservat och införa fiskefria områden.« (party programme ↗)“One way to increase protection is to establish marine reserves and introduce fishing-free areas.”
• ecosystems set the limits»låt ekosystemen i haven sätta gränserna för hur mycket fisk som får fångas, inför en ekosystembaserad havsförvaltning och gå över till skonsamma fiskemetoder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“let the ecosystems in the seas set the limits for how much fish may be caught, introduce ecosystem-based ocean management and switch to gentle fishing methods.”
• expanded marine protection»Skyddet av hav, skogar, våtmarker, stränder och flera andra biotoper måste utvidgas och skärpas.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of seas, forests, wetlands, shores and several other biotopes must be expanded and strengthened.”
• 30 per cent protected ocean»skydda minst 30 procent av världens hav.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect at least 30 per cent of the world's oceans.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The election manifesto commits to saving Sweden's seas and that harmful fishing shall not be allowed to destroy the marine environment, while the party programme requires that marine ecosystems be protected and restored. The counter-proposal's prohibition exempts fishing that doesn't affect conservation values, which protects small-scale fishing and sport fishing that the plan also protects. The plan's nature conservation line is based on voluntariness, however, which dampens support for a general prohibition.

• protect marine environment against harmful fishingdecisive»Rädda Sveriges sjöar, vattendrag och hav. Våra barn ska kunna bada utan att utsättas för gifter, nedskräpning eller algblomning. Skadlig bottentrålning ska inte få förstöra för varken havsmiljön, den småskaliga fiskenäringen eller sportfisket.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Save Sweden's lakes, watercourses and seas. Our children shall be able to swim without being exposed to poisons, litter or algal blooms. Harmful bottom-trawling shall not be allowed to destroy the marine environment, small-scale fishing or sport fishing.”
• protected marine ecosystems»De marina ekosystemen och havens resurser ska« (party programme ↗)“Marine ecosystems and the ocean's resources shall”
• protection of biological diversity»Att skydda den biologiska mångfalden är nödvändigt för att ekosystemen ska kunna fortleva.« (party programme ↗)“Protecting biological diversity is necessary for ecosystems to be able to continue.”
• voluntariness in nature conservation»Sveriges natur ska vårdas och den biologiska mångfalden utvecklas. Mer måste göras för att restaurera våtmarker, bekämpa invasiva arter och underlätta för markägare att bidra, då frivillighet och äganderätt är grunden för en bättre naturvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's nature shall be looked after and biological diversity developed. More must be done to restore wetlands, combat invasive species and make it easier for landowners to contribute, as voluntariness and property rights are the foundation for better nature conservation.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto commits that industrial fishing shall be limited and that the most valuable sea areas shall be protected as marine reserves, and the party programme requires strong protection for areas with high nature values and fishing within the framework of what the stocks can bear. A general fishing ban in marine protected areas, with exceptions for fishing that does not affect the values being preserved, follows from this line and preserves the small-scale and coastal fishing that the plan wants to favor. The plan does not state a position on nature reserves and national parks specifically.

• marine reserves and limited industrial fishingdecisive»Kampen mot övergödningen ska fortsätta, industrifisket ska begränsas och de mest värdefulla havsområdena skyddas som marina reservat.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fight against eutrophication shall continue, industrial fishing shall be limited and the most valuable sea areas protected as marine reserves.”
• strong protection for high nature values»sjöar och vattendrag med höga naturvärden ska ha ett starkt skydd.« (party programme ↗)“lakes and watercourses with high nature values shall have strong protection.”
• long-term sustainable fishing»Fisket måste bedrivas på ett långsiktigt hållbart sätt« (party programme ↗)“Fishing must be conducted in a long-term sustainable manner”
• favor small-scale fishing»Regelverket ska gynna småskaligt och kustnära fiske« (party programme ↗)“The regulations shall favor small-scale and coastal fishing”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan explicitly rejects generally applied protection rules and wants protection used where there is reason for it, while the Swedish fishing industry shall be given conditions to remain viable. A general fishing ban in all marine protected areas goes against that balance. That fishing catches should be sustainable and that reserve protection is needed speaks for protection, but not for a general ban.

• protection based on need assessment, not generaldecisive»Ett strandskydd bör inte tillämpas« (party programme ↗)“A shore protection should not be applied”
• viable fishing industry»Den svenska fiskerinäringen måste ges förutsättningar att även i framtiden vara livskraftig.« (party programme ↗)“The Swedish fishing industry must be given conditions to also in future be viable.”
• sustainable fishing catch»Ett alltför omfattande fiskeuttag gynnar ingen« (party programme ↗)“An all too large fishing catch benefits no one”
• reserve protection is needed»både reservatsskydd i olika former och stor naturhänsyn i skogs- och jordbrukslandskapet.« (party programme ↗)“both reserve protection in various forms and great natural consideration in forest and agricultural landscape.”

The plan's instruments against declining fish stocks are targeted and precise: the trawl fishing limit should be moved from four to twelve nautical miles to stem the decline of herring and sprats, while the fishing industry should be saved. A general fishing ban in all marine protected areas is a considerably broader restriction on use than what the plan commits to, and conflicts with the line that more nature should be used and that the owner should be able to use their property. The documents do not directly address protected areas.

• targeted trawl fishing regulationdecisive»Stävja minskningen av sill-/strömmingsbestånden i Östersjön genom att flytta gränsen för trålfiske från fyra till tolv nautiska mil« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stem the decline of herring/sprat stocks in the Baltic Sea by moving the trawl fishing limit from four to twelve nautical miles”
• protect the fishing industry»Vi ska stoppa jakten på jägarna och rädda fiskerinäringen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall stop hunting the hunters and save the fishing industry”
• more use, not less»Minska ytan av skog som är undantagen från skogsbruk« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the area of forest excluded from forestry”
• use rights guiding»rätt att använda sitt ägande efter eget huvud ska vara vägledande.« (party programme ↗)“right to use one's property at one's own discretion should be guiding.”

The plan establishes that the marine and water environment must be prioritized more clearly over too intensive fishing and wants to increase the pace of restoring the marine environment. A fishing ban in marine protected areas, with exceptions for fishing that does not affect conservation values, lies in that prioritization. The plan's general line that voluntariness under responsibility works best and that measures should provide the most environment per krona at the same time speaks against general bans.

• marine environment before intensive fishingdecisive»Vår havs- och vattenmiljö måste prioriteras tydligare framför ett allt för intensivt fiske och omfattande vindkraftsutbyggnad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our marine and water environment must be prioritized more clearly over too intensive fishing and extensive wind power expansion.”
• restored marine environment»Öka takten i arbetet med att återställa havsmiljön i Östersjön« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the pace of work to restore the marine environment in the Baltic Sea”
• voluntariness before bans»Erfarenheten visar att frivillighet under ansvar fungerar bäst för att skapa miljövärden, stöttat med kompetent och hjälpande rådgivning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Experience shows that voluntariness under responsibility works best to create environmental values, supported by competent and helpful advice.”
• environmental efficiency per krona»Sträva efter miljöeffektivitet och hitta de åtgärder som ger mest miljö per krona« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strive for environmental efficiency and find the measures that provide the most environment per krona”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.