Press Release: The Commission adopts emergency measures to help the recovery of North Sea cod stocks

On 7.2.01, the European Commission adopted a Regulation for emergency measures to protect spawning cod in the North Sea. This was in response to a request from the Council of Fisheries Ministers in December 2000 to put in place emergency conservation measures for North Sea cod which were in imminent danger of collapse. These measures set up a temporary controlled area that will be closed to all fisheries likely to catch cod until 30 April 2001. This package of measures is the first part of a three-stage approach: emergency measures first, additional technical and control measures in the Spring to protect young cod and a proposal for long term multi-annual recovery plan in early June 2001.