Moving the trawl limit and limiting large-scale fishing

The plan requires conscious and comprehensive work for rich ecosystems and ambitious environmental goals that are followed up with sharp legislation. To pause large-scale fishing until stocks recover and permanently move out the trawl boundary is such a sharp measure against the over-exploitation of natural resources that the election manifesto points out as the cause of depleted biological diversity. Fishing is not specifically mentioned, therefore the conclusion is derived.

• rich ecosystemsdecisive»skapa goda villkor för rika ekosystem, bland annat genom att återställa« (party programme ↗)“create good conditions for rich ecosystems, among other things by restoring”
• stop over-exploitation»Ett ständigt överutnyttjande av naturens resurser leder till kraftig utarmning av den biologiska mångfalden och växthusgasutsläpp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Constant over-exploitation of nature's resources leads to severe depletion of biological diversity and greenhouse gas emissions.”
• sharp environmental legislation»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals that are followed up with sharp legislation and practical work.”
• protect biological diversity»Skyddet av skogs- och strandområden är en viktig del för att värna den svenska allemansrätten och den biologiska mångfalden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protection of forest and coastal areas is an important part of valuing Swedish public access rights and biological diversity.”

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 programme states that the Baltic Sea has become a sea in crisis and commits to protecting biological diversity and Sweden's water environments, with sustainable use of natural resources as a principle. Pausing large-scale fishing until stocks have recovered and moving the trawl boundary in consultation with other countries follows from these commitments. The trawl boundary as such is not mentioned in the plan.

• the Baltic Sea in crisisdecisive»Östersjön har blivit ett hav i kris.« (party programme ↗)“The Baltic Sea has become a sea in crisis.”
• protection of water environments»Värn av biologisk mångfald och Sveriges värdefulla natur och vattenmiljöer.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of biological diversity and Sweden's valuable nature and water environments.”
• sustainable resource extraction»Hållbar utvinning och användning av naturresurser, med ekonomisk kompensation till« (party programme ↗)“Sustainable extraction and use of natural resources, with economic compensation to”
• international environmental goals achieved»Sverige som ledande kraft i världen för att överenskomna internationella miljö- och« (party programme ↗)“Sweden as a leading force in the world for agreed international environmental and”

The election manifesto demands that ecosystems in the seas set the limits for how much fish may be caught and that fishing shifts to gentle methods. The party programme wants to see a stop to destructive fishing methods that destroy life and states that overfishing must be stopped and small-scale coastal fishing promoted. A pause for large-scale fishing and a moved trawl boundary are the same commitment in substance.

• stop for destructive fishingdecisive»Vi vill se ett stopp för destruktiva fiskemetoder som förstör våra hav och dammsuger upp allt liv.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see a stop to destructive fishing methods that destroy our seas and suck up all life.”
• ecosystem limits for catch»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 ecosystems in the seas set the limits for how much fish may be caught, introduce ecosystem-based marine management and shift to gentle fishing methods.”
• small-scale fishing before industrial fishing»Miljöpartiet vill främja det småskaliga kustnära fisket. Överfisket måste stoppas och« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party wants to promote small-scale coastal fishing. Overfishing must be stopped and”
• strengthened marine protection»Skyddet av marina områden och ekosystem behöver utökas och stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of marine areas and ecosystems needs to be expanded and strengthened.”

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 plan explicitly states that harmful bottom trawling shall not be allowed to destroy either the marine environment, small-scale fishing or sport fishing, and that Sweden's seas shall be saved. Pausing large-scale fishing in the Baltic Sea until stocks have recovered and permanently moving the trawl boundary is the measure that responds to this commitment. The obligation to use without using up points in the same direction.

• stop harmful bottom trawlingdecisive»Skadlig bottentrålning ska inte få förstöra för varken havsmiljön, den småskaliga fiskenäringen eller sportfisket.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Harmful bottom trawling shall not be allowed to destroy either the marine environment, small-scale fishing or sport fishing.”
• save the seas»Rädda Sveriges sjöar, vattendrag och hav.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Save Sweden's lakes, watercourses and seas.”
• protect ecosystems»Att skydda den biologiska mångfalden är nödvändigt för att ekosystemen ska kunna fortleva.« (party programme ↗)“To protect biological diversity is necessary for the ecosystems to be able to continue.”
• use without using up»Vi har en skyldighet att bruka utan att förbruka, att inte föröda kretsloppen för kommande generationer.« (party programme ↗)“We have an obligation to use without using up, not to destroy the cycles for future generations.”

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 explicitly establishes that industrial fishing shall be limited and that the most valuable sea areas shall be protected, and the party programme that fishing shall remain within scientific assessments of what stocks can sustain. The critical situation of herring and sprat makes a pause and a moved trawl boundary precisely the restriction the plan requires. The plan furthermore wishes that regulations favour small-scale and coastal fishing.

• 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.”
• fishing within stock limits»Fisket måste bedrivas på ett långsiktigt hållbart sätt och hålla sig inom ramen för vetenskapliga bedömningar av vad bestånden tål.« (party programme ↗)“Fishing must be conducted in a long-term sustainable way and remain within the framework of scientific assessments of what stocks can sustain.”
• favour small-scale coastal fishing»Regelverket ska gynna småskaligt och kustnära fiske samt främja utveckling av fiskemetoder och fiskeredskap med stor selektivitet som är skonsamma för de lokala ekosystemen och förhindrar icke önskvärda bifångster.« (party programme ↗)“Regulations shall favour small-scale and coastal fishing and promote development of fishing methods and gear with high selectivity that are considerate of local ecosystems and prevent unwanted bycatch.”
• sea protection in concert»Sverige omges av hav som behöver skyddas genom avtal mellan alla kuststater.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden is surrounded by seas that need to be protected through agreements between all coastal states.”

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 party programme explicitly warns that overly extensive fishing extraction will cause supplies to dwindle and the industry to die out in the long term, and requires that fishing be conducted according to the stewardship principle. The precautionary principle shall be applied when there is risk of irreversible damage. That pausing large-scale fishing until stocks have recovered and moving the trawl boundary is thereby what the plan's commitments lead to, also for the archipelago's sake.

• overfishing harms the industrydecisive»gynnar ingen utan resulterar endast i att tillgången sinar och att näringen på lång sikt dör ut.« (party programme ↗)“benefits no one but only results in supplies dwindling and the industry dying out in the long term.”
• stewardship in fishing»allt annat nyttjande av naturresurser ske med hänsyn till förvaltarskapsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“all other use of natural resources shall be done with regard to the stewardship principle.”
• the precautionary principle»Med detta menas att om misstanke finns om hot eller oåterkallelig« (party programme ↗)“By this is meant that if suspicion exists of threat or irreversible”
• the archipelago's dependence on fishing»indirekt beroende av en väl fungerande och livskraftig fiskerinäring.« (party programme ↗)“indirect dependence on a well-functioning and thriving fishing industry.”

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 counter-proposal wants to permanently move the trawling boundary and pause large-scale fishing until stocks recover. The election manifesto explicitly promises to move the trawling boundary from four to twelve nautical miles to stem the decline of herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea, and establishes that the trend of declining stocks must be reversed. The party programme identifies overfishing as a serious threat to the marine environment.

• moved trawling boundarydecisive»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 trawling boundary from four to twelve nautical miles”
• limit harmful trawling»Fiskerinäringen har drabbats hårt av minskade bestånd på senare år inte minst på grund av det kustnära trålfisket – den utvecklingen måste brytas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fishing industry has been badly hit by declining stocks in recent years not least because of nearshore trawling – that trend must be reversed.”
• overfishing as an environmental problem»utfiskning slår mot en levande havsmiljö« (party programme ↗)“overfishing strikes at a living marine environment”
• joint Baltic Sea work»Förstärka det gemensamma Östersjöarbetet för åtgärder mot övergödning och nedskräpning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the joint Baltic Sea work for measures against eutrophication and littering”

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 plan explicitly states that the sea and water environment must be prioritized more clearly over too intensive fishing, which is precisely the balance the counter-proposal makes when it wants to pause large-scale fishing and permanently move the trawl boundary. The plan also wants to increase the pace of work to restore the Baltic Sea's marine environment and describes the situation in our waters as serious. The requirement for consultation with other countries follows the plan's line on international cooperation between Baltic countries.

• sea environment before intensive fishingdecisive»Vår havs- och vattenmiljö måste prioriteras tydligare framför ett allt för intensivt fiske och omfattande vindkraftsutbyggnad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our sea and water environment must be prioritized more clearly before too intensive fishing and extensive wind power expansion.”
• restored Baltic Sea 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”
• serious situation in the Baltic Sea»Det är därför allvarligt att situationen i våra vatten och framför allt i Östersjön är så dålig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is therefore serious that the situation in our waters and especially in the Baltic Sea is so poor.”
• consultation among Baltic countries»Mer fokus måste i detta sammanhang satsas på internationell samverkan mellan östersjöländerna då Sverige inte ensamt kan bidra till att lösa situationen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More focus must in this context be put on international cooperation between Baltic countries as Sweden cannot alone contribute to solving the situation.”

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.