The European Commission has proposed halving the catches of cod in the Baltic Sea next year to support dwindling stocks while increasing those for herring.

Overall, the catch limits of all types of fish would amount to a 12 per cent increase to 629,000 tonnes given successful efforts over the past years to help Europe’s fish stocks recover, said the Commission, the EU executive.

But it proposed reducing the catches of western cod by 48 per cent and those of some wild salmon in the Baltic by 15 per cent, after cutting them by over half for 2014.

Denmark, Germany, Poland and Sweden will have the biggest fishing quotas for cod in the Baltic Sea in 2015. For salmon, Denmark, Finland, Latvia and Sweden have the largest quotas.

The Mediterranean is particularly bad, with more than 90 per cent of the stocks overfished

Despite some progress in protecting fish stocks, 75 per cent of European fish stocks are overfished, compared with a worldwide average of 25 per cent, the EU says. The Mediterranean is particularly bad, with more than 90 per cent of the stocks overfished. There has been some progress in limiting overfishing in the Baltic and the Atlantic.

“The Baltic Sea is a positive example in Europe: each year, more and more stocks are reaching a sustainable level,” said Helene Banner, spokeswoman for maritime affairs and fisheries at the Commission. “Further efforts are needed so that we also safeguard the cod stocks in the Baltic.”

Some herring catches would be increased by 12 per cent under the Commission’s proposals. The limits will be discussed by EU ministers in October, and if agreed would apply as of January 1 next year.

EU restrictions on the size of catches regularly produce heated debate.