MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE

K Ä S K I R
I



Tallinn 28 May 2014 No 79


Suspension of fishing for redfish in the semester of 2014 in Peipsi,

in Läm and Pihkva lakes

The order shall be issued on the basis of paragraph 19(6) of the Law on fishing in
.
Under paragraph 11(1)(1) of Decree No 163 of the Government of the Republic of 14 November 2013, entitled “opportunities for commercial fishing and annual authorised catches under a fishing authorisation for fishermen in the lakes of Peipsi, Läm and Pihkva, the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Liste, and fishing rights for 2014”, a quantity of 400 tonnes of
per half-year is authorised for the Republic of Estonia under the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Russian Federation on cooperation for the conservation and exploitation of fishery resources in lakes of Peipsi, Läm and Pihkva.
According to the information provided by the Government of the Republic in accordance with the procedure laid down in Regulation No 104 of 31 March 2003 on the arrangements for reporting data relating to fishing activities, at least 360 tonnes of redfish have been caught in 2014 in lakes Peipsi, Lämmi and Pihkva. Thus, under paragraph 11(1)(1) of Decree No 163 of the Government of the Republic of 14 November 2013, entitled “opportunities for commercial fishing and the annual allowable catches in the lakes of Peipsi, Läipsi and Pihkva, the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Livi on the basis of fishing authorisations and fishing rights for 2014”, the six-monthly allowable catches are exhausted by at least 90% of the
.
Paragraph 19(6) of the Law on fishing requires the Minister for Agriculture to stop commercial fishing in waters where the annual allowable catches for that area have been exhausted by at least 90%. Commercial fishing may be suspended in respect of one or more areas, small permanent islands, fishing gear, species and fishing authorisations referred to in paragraph 13(3) of the Law on fishing
.
According to letter No 3-10/MI - 8742-2 of the Estonian Maritime Institute of the University of Tartu of 09 May 2014, traps are the main fishing gear for redfish in the first half of the year on the basis of a fisherman's fishing licence, and scientists believe that it is necessary to ban traps in the
as well in order to comply with the half-yearly fishing quota for redfish.
Thus, the main fishing gear for redfish fishing under the fishing authorisation of a fisherman in the first half of the year is the murder, to a lesser extent the gillnet and the framework, the net, the shore seine and the longline of the lakes of Peipsi, Läm and Pihkva. These gears shall be poorly equipped with a gillnet and a framework network which, if captured, shall not prevent the introduction of redfish into the traps. Fish caught from the gillnets and the framework network cannot normally be released as viable for
.
Similarly, the presence of redfish in traps cannot be avoided when trapped by traps. Traps catch large quantities of redfish, which makes it pointless to continue fishing for trap, as most of the catches should again be discarded. Shark accounted for 43.72% of fish caught by traps in April this year and 3.24% of fish caught by nets. In addition, 35.98%, 0.3% and 2.89% of fish caught by traps in the latex in April this year were
.
Paragraph 30(1)(8) of Decree No 144 of the Government of the Republic of 9 May 2003, entitled “fishing rules”, prohibits fishing with traps in Lämmi and Pihkva from 15 May to 15 June and paragraph 38(8) and (10) prohibits fishing for lats and sites in lakes Peipsi, Lämmi and Pihkva from 15 May to 15 June. Similarly, by Decree No 39 of the Minister for Agriculture of 3 March 2014, fishing for holes in lakes Peipsi, Lämmi and Pihkva has been suspended until 30 June 2014 because the catches authorised in the Haug Semester have been exhausted.
Therefore, until 15 June, 82.92% of the total catches of trap should be discarded on the basis of the April trap catch data. Although it is generally possible to release fish from traps as viable, some fish may nevertheless be killed during discards, with the result that, in a situation where most of the catches of traps are to be discarded when the prohibition on fishing for redfish is introduced, it is not appropriate to continue fishing for traps in the Lake Peipsi in order to ensure the rational exploitation of fish stocks. Due to the implementation of the half-yearly quota for redfish and the quantity of redfish remaining in traps that should be discarded from traps during the closure period, it is appropriate, in view of the rational exploitation of fish stocks, to suspend traps fishing in lakes Peipsi, Lämmi and Pihkva until 30 June
.
For other gears, the use of shore seine wings of a length of 50 m and 100 hooks is permitted in lakes of Peipsi, Läm and Pihkva, even when fishing with them, it is generally not possible to release the fish as viable. In addition, the lakes of Peipsi, Läm and Pihkva are authorised to use a catching net from which it is generally possible to release fish alive. Paragraph 30(1)(9) of the Fisheries Regulations prohibits fishing with Lämmi in the lakes of Läm and Pihkva from 15 May to 15 June and fishing with other demersal gear, including shore seines, from 15 May to 15 August. The catch of the catching net was 0.41% in April this year for hay, 4.73% for latex, 2.3% for pox and 56.72% for
.
Fishing with gillnets is prohibited under the Fisheries Regulations from 6 May to 31 August.

For the reasons set out above, it is necessary to suspend fishing by traps, nets, shore seines and longliners for fish subject to a fisherman's fishing authorisation in the lakes of Peipsi, Läm and Pihva.

1. I shall stop fishing for redfish in lakes Peipsi, Lämmi and Pihkva until 30 June 2014 at
.
2. I shall stop fishing with nets, traps, 100 hooks and shore-seines of a total length of 50 m in the lakes of Peipsi, Lämmi and Pihkva until 30 June 2014 in
.3. The Circular shall apply to persons fishing on the basis of a fisherman's fishing licence in lakes Peipsi, Läm and Pihkva from the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

4. The fisheries department shall arrange for the publication of the circular in the official publication Ametlikud Teadaanded and on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture
.
The order may be the subject of an appeal before the administrative court within 30 days of publication of the order in the Official Journal of the European Communities in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Code of Administrative Procedure of the
.
Send: Ministry of Environment, Environment Inspectorate, Fisheries information Centre, Association of fishermen in the sub-basin of MTÜ Peipsi, Association of fishermen in the Peipsi region, Association of fishermen in the Peipsi region, Fisheries Management Department, Administration Department, public relations Department of
.


Mr Ivari Padar Minister for