KALININGRAD, February 16. /TASS/. The Baltic cod catch plummeted almost twofold in 2025 to 378.2 metric tons due to the dramatic contraction of the population of this fish in the region caused by insufficient saline water inflow, head of the regional agency for fisheries Yury Maslov said at the press conference in the TASS Kaliningrad regional information center.
The saline water inflow is important for the Baltic Sea ecosystem because it brings oxygen that is often not enough for the sea. Cold water may contain more oxygen than warm one and is capable of delivering it to in-depth layers where shortage is kept for years. Such areas often become unsuitable for fish and other organisms due to the oxygen deficit. The saline water inflow to the Baltic Sea is provided by water coming from the North Sea through shallow Danish straits.
"The saline water inflow is indeed low in recent years. The stock of our Baltic cod is exposed to it in the first instance. Its catch declined very significantly in recent years; the catch is consistently declining. The stock of this fish species gives rise to concerns. It is becoming increasingly smaller; accordingly, the price of this fish species is growing," Maslov said.
In 2024, 625.6 metric tons of caught under the quota of 974.3 tons, Maslov told TASS. In 2025, 378.2 metric tons of this fish were reeled in, while the quota was 839.6 metric tons.