Letter: Cormorants Hunted While Trawling Continues

A letter published in Dagens Nyheter argues that the current "research hunt" targeting cormorants is misguided, diverting attention from the real culprits behind dwindling fish populations. The author, Birgitte Kropf, contends that the focus on cormorants and seals as the primary threats to fish stocks ignores the far greater impact of human activities.

Naturvårdsverket (the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency) has sanctioned a five-year cull of 17,500 cormorants and the destruction of 20,000 eggs along the coast between Tierp and Gävle. This initiative, in collaboration with SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), aims to study the hunt's effect on fish stocks and inform sustainable management. However, Kropf points to reports of cormorants' stomachs containing various fish species, questioning the narrative that these birds are solely to blame.

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How can it be that cormorants and seals are portrayed as the main culprits regarding the depletion of fish, when trawling has such a significant impact?

The core of Kropf's argument is that industrial bottom trawling, a method where nets are dragged along the seabed, causes immense damage to marine habitats and kills vast quantities of fish. She asserts that research consistently identifies overfishing, pollution, and climate change as the leading causes of declining fish stocks globally and regionally. Therefore, she questions why cormorants and seals are singled out while destructive fishing practices continue unabated.

Kropf calls for an immediate and total ban on bottom trawling. She also suggests that Naturvårdsverket, Länsstyrelsen (the County Administrative Board), and SLU may be violating the EU's Birds Directive, which aims to protect wild bird species and their habitats. The letter advocates for a shift in focus from wildlife management to addressing the systemic issues driving the decline of marine ecosystems.

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The fishing method should be completely banned.