Every year in October, the EU fisheries ministers decide on the fishing quotas of the fish populations in the Baltic Sea for the coming year. It is their responsibility and duty to end overfishing. However, even though the legal deadline has passed since 2020, four out of ten fishing quotas were still set above scientific recommendations last year. Instead of facing the reality of a collapsing Baltic Sea and putting in place strong measures to save habitats and fish populations, fisheries ministers continue to fight behind closed doors over every extra tonne of fish.  

In Luxembourg, the sculpture will stand in front of the Council building and look critically at what is being discussed behind closed doors. It reminds the ministers of how cod and herring disappeared from the Baltic Sea and how seagrass meadows and reefs turned into hostile deserts. But the sculpture also knows that a future with an healthy ocean and fish populations is possible if policy makers push for a just transition of fisheries. The decision made in Luxembourg will show how serious the ministers are about saving the Baltic Sea.