On Monday, March 24th, Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze met with EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis to discuss issues related to the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, including the current EU fishing control regulations.
Armands Krauze drew Costas Kadis’ attention to Russia’s intensified and targeted fishing in the Baltic Sea, which EU fishing quota restrictions for member states cannot compensate for.
Armands Krauze: “It is no secret that fish stocks in the Baltic Sea are declining, and we are trying to protect them with highly restrictive EU fishing quotas. At the same time, Russia continues intensive fishing of Baltic cod, herring, and sprat, which seriously threatens fish stocks, especially Eastern Baltic cod. I am deeply concerned about the direct negative impact this has on our fisheries and their future.”
Since finding a solution in the current geopolitical situation is highly challenging, the minister urged the commissioner and the European Commission to seriously assess the situation and avoid placing the entire responsibility for declining fish stocks solely on EU fishermen through various catch restrictions. Attention must also be given to the socioeconomic contribution of the sector in ensuring the sustainability of coastal fisheries.
Minister Krauze also stressed the importance of abolishing the requirement to penalize fishermen who unintentionally miscalculate their catch volumes at sea, particularly for unregulated small fish species. While strict fisheries control is necessary, before introducing new regulations and additional administrative burdens for both fishermen and national authorities, it is essential to carefully assess the proportionality of these requirements, their feasibility, and their added value.
Latvia, together with Lithuania, is once again bringing the issue of changing the permissible margin of tolerance (MOT) in fisheries to discussion at the March meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council. If an urgent solution is not found, there is a risk of destroying the Baltic Sea fisheries and the fish processing industry.