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Country Report presented at the 5^th BAFICO seminar, Tallinn, 20-21 May 1999 by Normunds Riekstins, National Board of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture

Current status and trends in inland fisheries in Latvia

1. General information about inland waters of Latvia

1.1. Area and number

I.I.I. Lakes

The Republic of Latvia is rich in 2256 lakes. Each of them having water surface area larger or equal than 1 ha and in total covering 100 000 ha. The lakes of Latvia constitute 1.5% of the total territory of the state. The density of lakes is less than in Northern Europe, but larger than in other European countries like Poland (1%).

Only the territory of 13 lakes exceeds 1000 ha. The most sizeable of them are the lake Lubana - 8 200 ha, the lake Razna - 5 800 ha, the lake Engure - 3 800 ha.

There are 140 lakes having the water surface equal or exceeding 100 ha, and 800 lakes are equal or exceed 10 ha.

Majority of lakes are located in SE part of Latvia.

1.1.2. Rivers

There are 12.5 thousand rivers (also brooks and streams) of overall length 60 thousand km. The main part of the rivers is short with length under 10 km and these rivers constitute 51% of the overall river length of Latvia.

Only 17 rivers are longer than a 100 km (the Daugava, the Lielupe, the Venta, the Aiviekste, the Gauja, and others). 50 rivers are longer than 50 km, 209 rivers are of 20 -50 km long.

3 hydroelectric power stations are built on the river Daugava and they have 3 water reservoirs with a total area of 10 200 ha.

Most of lakes are atrophic water bodies with shallow waters and average depth from 1 m to 4 m. There are only 7 lakes whose average depth exceeds 10m.

The river waters as to the chemical content are mainly hydrogen carbonated, of little or fair mineralization. Latvian rivers are very shallow and only several seaward parts of Daugava, Lielupe, Venta and Gauja as well as water reservoirs on river Daugava are useful waterways for sailing.

1.3. Main Fish Species

42 fish and 3 lamprey species inhabit inland waters of Latvia. All inland waters I species (except vend ace) are met in the rivers, but only 32 fish species of the total fish ran! occur in lakes.

However the lakes mainly are inhabited by the same fish species as rivers except grayling, salmon, sea trout, vimba and 3 lamprey species.

The most common fish species in Latvian waters are pike, bream, white bream, roach, rudd gudgeon, bleak, verkhovka, tench, crucian carp, spiny loach, perch, ruffle.

Such fish species as twaite shad, blue bream, sablefish, amour sleeper have to be considered rare ones in Latvia's inland waters.

2. Legal aspects of inland waters fishery

2.1. Property on fish resources and fishing rights

The rules of the Civil Law of the Republic of Latvia lay down those 189 lakes and 39 rivers their parts are state-owned, but the rest waters are private.

According to the Fishing Law the fish resources except the fish specially grown for restocking or marketing purposes in private aquaculture settings are a state property.

The fishing rights on use offish resources in Latvia are laid down by:

_ Civil Law,

_ Fishing Law,

_ Regulations on Lease of Water Bodies and Commercial Fishing Rights and

Order on Use of Fishing Rights,

In accordance with the Civil Law the state belongs the fishing rights for public waters and in addition for 209 private lakes and 17 rivers and their ran parts listed in Law. |

The fishing rights in public rivers belong to every owner of the waterside along his border in that part of water which is more adjacent to his land than that of others.

The fishing rights in private waters belong to their owners, except the number of private lake where the fishing rights are state-owned.

The state has entrusted the local municipalities to take on lease the state-owned fishing rights in accordance with the fishing limits allocated in the waters of each municipality.

The state-owned fishing rights as well as private fishing rights are charged for. The background of these payments is a principle of charge for the use of state-owned natural fish resources. The lessees and the private owner's payments for fishing rights depend on the fishing gear type in use.

The order how the physical and legal persons may be involved in commercial fisheries are stipulated by the Regulations on Commercial Fishing in Inland Waters of the Republic of Latvia.

The physical and legal persons are allowed to fish for within inland waters if they have concluded the lease contract on fishing rights with local municipality and they have received the fishing permit (license) with a specification on the fishing gear type, number of the gears for use or if necessary the catch limits in the Regional Environment Board of the Ministry of the Environmental Protection and Regional Development.

The lease contract on fishing rights is not necessary for the private fishing rights owners being involved in fishing in their own water bodies. Nevertheless fishing permit (license) should be obtained in any case.

The Angling Rules regulate the use of angling rights, which in Latvia could be allowed only after obtaining the angling card. The angling card is not needed for the persons under the age of 16 and over 65, as well as for disabled people.

The public waters as well as the private waters where the fishing rights are state-owned are freely accessible for anglers. All the rivers also are accessible without reference to property ownership.

In the lakes where the fishing rights are not state-owned, the lake owners have the angling rights for their private waters. Other persons intended to angle in these lakes have to obtain the lake owner's permission.

The Environmental State Inspection of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and the 8 Regional Environment Boards, employ 44 inspectors for environmental protection and fisheries control in Latvia. The number of inspectors is far insufficient to ensure and manage supervision, protection and regular control of use of fish resources in so high number of inland waters of Latvia.

Fisheries research and commercial catch statistics data are used for the assessment of inland waters fish stock status.

29 inland waters fish species are most common for commercial fishery in Latvia. Bream, roach and perch, a little less eel, pike perch, tench, and pike are the main valuable fish resources in the lakes. Bream and roach, a little less vimba and lamprey constitute the basic volumes of fish resources in the rivers. Bream, roach, pike perch and pike are most common resources in the water reservoirs.

The fish resources in inland waters are rather stable, but in recent years there is an increase of pike perch, pike, perch and tench catch.

The use of fish resources in inland waters of the Republic of Latvia are regulated by the fishing gear limit which is yearly designated for 800 water bodies.

The fishing gear limit comprises: the mode and number of fishing gears, the length of nets in meters. There is a conversion factor that 30 m of nets correspond to one trap net and it is possible for fishermen to choose the type of fishing gear within allocation process.

For other lakes smaller than 10 ha the limit is not assigned. There is a constant limit for every such lake of 75 m of nets.

The fishing gear limit is approved by the National Board of Fisheries and after that local municipalities in the waters of their territory organize the allocation of limits between local fishermen who have the fishing right lease contract or have private fishing rights in their own waters.

Nets, seines, trap nets for fish and special trap nets, and hooks for eel perform the fishery in lakes, rivers and water reservoirs. The catch by nets constitutes 55% of Latvian inland waters total catch. Seines - provide 34% and trap nets - 8% of the total catch.

The fishery by seines are mainly performed in the biggest lakes of Latvia that is less than 1% in number of all lakes used for commercial fishing. The river fishermen mainly operate with nets and trap nets, and only the nets are used in the water reservoirs.

On the whole the commercial fishing gears are operated in 202 lakes, 15 water reservoirs and in 4 rivers or there ran parts. In addition the lamprey fishery is carried out in 16 rivers.

In recent years there is an increase in number of the water bodies fished for. When 1998 compared with 1997 the fished for water bodies were added by 23 ones.

The total inland catch in Latvia during 1994-1998 has fluctuated from 495 t to 536 t, and on overage - approximately 516 t per annum.

The annual catch in inland waters constitutes only 16% comprising the catch in the marine coastal waters or 0.6% of the total marine catch in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga.

Out of the total catch of all fish species caught in marine coastal areas fresh water fish species constitute about a 100 t but migratory fish species spending part of life in inland waters -125 t.

When considering the total inland waters catch it has to be mentioned that most of fish are caught in lakes. Over last 5 years the catches in these waters fluctuate from 312 t to 371 t, on average it constitutes 65 % of total fishery output in inland waters.

Although the bream, white bream and roach stocks are more sizeable, the commercial fishery is mainly orientated to the catch of economically valuable fish species like pike, the catch of which has increased per 8 t, the perch - increased per 5 t, the pike perch - increased per 2 t. The catch productivity of lakes is rather low and on average it is 5.0 kg/ha for the overall area fished for.

When the fish species considered, the bream constitutes 31 % of total catch in the lakes, the pike - 15%, the roach - 10%, the perch - 8%, the eel - 7%.

When compared with 1997, the catch of pike and perch in 1998 has increased, but the catch of other species has decreased.

All types of fishing gears ~ the nets, seines, trap nets and hooks are used for the fishery in lakes.

Majority of fish are caught by nets - i.e. 49% of total catch in lakes. Then accordingly by seines - 41 % and by trap nets -7%.

In several lakes hooks are used for eel fishery and 1 t of eel have been caught by this method.

3.4.2.Rivers

Recently the fishery has been performed in 4 Latvian bigger rivers where the commercial fishery was allowed and the fishing gears limits were set. In addition a limited lamprey fishery was allowed in 16 smaller rivers.

Most offish are caught in the river Daugava (27.5 t) and the river Lielupe (14.3 t). Nets are mainly operated fishing gear in the rivers and contribute 84 % of the total river catch. Remained 15 % of fish are caught by trap nets.

As well as in other inland water bodies also in the rivers the bream is the most common fish species. It constitutes 30% of total catch in rivers followed by 25 % of vimba and smaller quantities of roach, perch and pike perch.

By volume the lamprey is the main species caught in the rivers. The catch of that species during the last years has decreased up to 80 t and it has essentially affected the total inland catch figures.

3 water reservoirs of river Daugava and 12 small ones have been fished for. Unfortunately these catches are of rather negligible quantity comprising only 5 % of the total inland waters catch in Latvia.

The inland waters catch of Latvia is rather negligible and, as it was mentioned, it comprises less than 1% of the total catch of Latvia. Concerning it, the inland water fish processing is not substantial and its development is rather slow.

The main use of different fish species are as follows:

1) Lamprey - Latvia has its own lamprey processing traditions. Lamprey is used as culinary product and produced smoked in cans. Well-known is the fried lamprey such as Carnikavas fried lamprey in mustard marinade and Grilled lamprey in jelly. In 1998 the joint stock company Carnikava started to produce a new canned lamprey product Smoked lamprey in oil.

2) Pike perch - Sold fresh and frozen, used in catering and household. Concerning its high price, it is bought by the customers who can afford it.

3) Eel — Used for delicacy production and mainly smoked. The company Leici Ltd located at the lake Razna has specialized in smoked eel production.

4) Bream, vimba, carp - Sold fresh or smoked in small quantities in local market.

5) Tench, pike, catfish, whitefish - Sold fresh.

6) Smelt - Sold fresh or dried.

In general the inland water fish is not exported, but mainly sold for local consumption.

In accordance with Latvian legislation the professional as well subsistence fishery are included in the term of commercial fishery, but angling is considered to be a recreational fishery.

Approximately 2500 people are involved in inland fishery, but majority of natural persons mainly fish for subsistence. There are also 22 legal entities, which are involved not only in fishery, but also in other kinds of entrepreneurship activities.

On the whole the profitability of inland waters fishery is quite low because of low commercial value of the fish species which form the basis of inland waters natural fish stocks. The average value of inland waters fish catch is about 1 USD per 1 kg of fish.

Only some fishing companies that have sufficiency of means supplement the natural fish resources by stocking of the lakes. There is a necessity to provide additional investments for improving the status of fish resources, the management of waters, the purchase of fishing gears and the modernization offish processing and cold store equipment.

Most of the fishing companies are incapable to pay off the high costs for water body lease and in addition the real estate tax payments. The last tax is: set according to the value of land adjacent to the respective waters.

The anglers' organizations such as clubs and unions that wish to lease the inland water bodies are in the same situation as the fishing companies. The current legislation does not envisage any water lease preferences for the anglers' organizations.

Approximately 10-15 thousand members of angler's organizations registered in Latvia today. At the same time maximal numbers of fishermen who obtain the angling cards exceed 90 thousand people. It means that approximately 100-120 thousand persons in total are engaged in angling activities in Latvia.

In 1998 total income from sales of angling cards and angling licenses contributed 120 thousand USD.

The recreational fishery catch is important, but today there is no reliable statistics data on that type of fishery.

Nevertheless it is relevant to mention that the total anglers' catches are comparable with the registered professional fishermen's catches. The recreational fishery on pike, roach, perch, bream, rudd, pike perch and other species are mainly fished for self-consumption.

There are 398 lakes (the public lakes and the ones where the fishing rights are state-owned) with a total area of 76 thousand ha or more than 70% of the total inland water bodies available for recreational fisheries. Owner's permission is necessary to fish in other private waters.

Professional and recreational fishery exploit similar fish stocks, both fishing types are used side by side supplementing each other and satisfying different interests of society. At the same time both activities used together increase the total fish catch, and the pressure to several fish stocks.

The limits for commercial fishery are mainly set by the approximation of the fishermen's allowable catch but there is a lack of assessment of anglers' activities in the same waters. In that case some conflicts between the commercial fishermen and anglers exist and they are settled by allocation of special fishing days or special places for each fishing type to avoid these misunderstandings.

Unfortunately not in all situations this practice operate quite well in real life.

The local municipalities, managing fish resources, in co-operation with the National Board of Fisheries and fisheries research institutions have the rights to provide preferences for fishermen or anglers when setting priorities for the use offish resources.

There are higher recreational fishermen activities in the water bodies adjacent to towns and other most common angling places.

There is a possibility to introduce specific angling restrictions by a special additionally paid license for limited angling. That should be organized in order to reduce the anglers' negative influence to the stocks of several fish species or environment and also to prevent the anglers overcrowding problems.

In that type of angling the number of licenses and the amount of fish catch could be restricted. The licensed angling could be introduced also in the leased water bodies where the lessees regularly stocked fish species meant for angling or carried out additional fish protection activities.

Free of charge licenses or the licenses of reduced prices could be introduced, taking into consideration the general Angling Rules, and to satisfy interests of the owners of coastal lands, the municipality approved local persons with low incomes and members of the local angling clubs.

Today the licensed angling is established in 4 rivers (mainly on vimba, sea trout) and 5 lakes.

The proper management of recreational fishery stimulates the development of aquaculture. Demand for fish breeding for stocking purposes arises as well as pond "put and take" angling develops. Currently there are 5 fish farms, which offer pond angling.

Recently the problems with protection of migratory fish species originate from current restoration activities of old and construction of new small hydroelectric power stations. These problems have increased since the state started to pay double tariff for electrical power produced by, such small establishments.

Engineering work, extraction of mineral substances, construction of waterworks and deepening of navigation canals at the river estuaries and other inland waters also cause damage to fisheries.

The Latvian Fisheries Research Institute and the Inland Waters Laboratory are the main research institutions elaborating the projects on inland waters fisheries research according to the orders of the state, municipalities, angler's organizations and other physical and legal bodies.

The National Board of Fisheries is a customer of projects financed from the state budget. The aim of these projects is the assessment of inland waters commercial resources and the insurance of their sustainable use, preservation, re-stocking and protection.

By the means of Fish Fund the state also finances and backstops the elaboration of the specific projects on public water bodies fish resources maintenance and proper exploitation.

The municipalities, undertaken the management of fish resources, become more and more interested in better mastering and appropriate exploitation of the fish resources in the water bodies of their territory as well as in the organization of fishing and angling activities.

Moreover the municipalities order the projects on fish resources research, attracting the finances got from the lease of fishing rights, as well as the means of the Fish Fund envisaged for the regional fisheries development. Due to these projects the original rules on fish resources exploitation that comprise the recommendations on the use and management of fish resources in specific lakes and rivers are established.

Taking into account the development of special licensed angling system in Latvia the organizers of these activities have a possibility to accumulate financial sources to implement the projects on fish stocking and rehabilitation of spawning grounds.

There are several anglers' clubs specialized and interested in angling for the salmonid species:

salmon, sea trout, trout and grayling. They are also interested in re-stocking, maintenance, protection and elaboration of additional research projects to replenish these fish species.

There is a current interest to conduct the investigation of the biggest Latvian lake Lubana itself and adjacent coastal areas to evaluate exploitation level of that area by the different branches of economy - agriculture, forestry, fishery, hunting as well as aspects of environmental protection. The work is started by the funding of the Government of Japan as a Latvian-Japanese co-operation project.

Small common projects between Latvia and mainly the Nordic countries were elaborated for several Baltic Sea coastal lakes especially for environmental protection purposes and preservation of migratory waterfowls, but some fishery aspects were also touched.

The Latvian National Indicative Programme include several projects related to the development of inland waters fishing possibilities such as:

1) Restocking of national fish resources,

2) Increasing of fish resources re-stocking efficiency in salmon rivers,

3) Crayfish re-stocking programme.

Latvia now is in search of experienced experts for the implementation of these projects envisaged.

This should be mentioned that the basic legislation governing the fisheries of inland waters has been already developed in Latvia. However, there are problems concerned with the use and rent of water bodies for fisheries and fish farming purposes, development of recreational fishery and collection of statistical data on professional and recreational fishery. These matters have to be solved in the nearest future.

One of the most important constraints on inland fisheries is illegal fishing, which is a widespread phenomenon. Serious financial and technical sources are needed to improve current status of fisheries control and especially for strengthening of control institutions.

To promote the development of sustainable fisheries the following measures should be taken:

1) Reduction or exemption from the payments of the rent of water bodies and fishing rights for lessees and owners of water bodies investing in the re-stocking and protection of fish resources;

2) Making preferences to the anglers' organizations for rent of water bodies for further development of recreational fishing and licensed angling;

3) Decreasing of real estate tax for the use of water bodies for fishery and fish farming purposes; „

4) Facilitation of state aid for the development of inland waters fisheries;

5) Explanation of legislation on the use of private and state fishing rights to .the municipalities, owners and lessees of water bodies;

6) Encouraging improvement of technical facilities for fish protection and fisheries control;

7) Supporting municipalities in the local administration and proper management of fish resources.

To improve the management of fisheries the following measures must be taken:

1) Conduction of social and economic research and collection of data on status and importance of fishing activities in the terms of income of people and working time used (questionnaire forms, registration of fishermen, licensing of fishing entrepreneurship);

2) Development and implementation of appropriate data collection systems on recreational fisheries (number of anglers, type of angling, catches, preferences, motivation, expenditure);

3) Establishing of Consultative Board on Angling Matters to promote understanding among the recreational fishermen, state fisheries administration and science, to create partnership in the decision making and management process;

4) Changing current legislation in order to improve the assessment system of impact of industrial activities on water environment and compensation mechanism for damage caused to fish resources;

5) Identifying rare and highly protected fish species and restoring fish habitats important to fish stocks and fisheries.

The fishing rights on use offish resources in Latvia are laid down by:

Civil Law (1937),

Fishing Law (1995),

Use of Fishing Rights (1996), _

Regulations on Use of Fishing Rights in Private Waters (1998).

The fishing rules are laid down by:

Regulations on Commercial Fishing in Inland Waters of the Republic of Latvia (1998),

Angling Rules (1997)

0 Lamprey - traditional culinary and smoked products in cans mainly for local market

and in small scale for export

0 Pike perch - fresh, frozen for catering and household for customers with high income

0 Eel - smoked delicacy production for catering and household for customers with high income

0 Bream, vimba, carp - fresh, smoked for local market

0 Tench, pike, catfish, whitefish - fresh for local market

0 Smelt - fresh and dried for local market 

 

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