The deputies of Burtnieki municipality have decided to ban industrial fishing in Lake Burtnieki as of January 1, 2022, informed Edīte Stērste, a public relations specialist of Burtnieki municipality.
Such a decision was made in order to preserve and restore predatory fish resources, as well as to develop recreational activities and promote the development of tourism services around the lake, as well as to promote Burtnieki as a tourist and fishing destination. This decision has yet to be coordinated by the State Scientific Institute “BIOR” and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Stērste reminds that on November 2, Burtnieki municipality received a collective application from Jānis Brambats, asking the municipality to review the initiative “On the cessation of industrial fishing in Lake Burtnieki” launched by the portal “ManaBalss.lv”, signed by more than 1,800 Latvians. It states that in addition to the environmental sustainability benefits of banning industrial fishing, the pressure on predatory fish will be reduced, and the public will have more recreational opportunities.
In order to hear the views of all stakeholders on the future of industrial fishing in Lake Burtnieki, a conference “Burtnieks 2022” was organized in early November, which not only discussed fishing and fishing, but also presented the latest research data on fish resources in the lake, Stērste said.
Burtnieks is a productive lake with rich fish resources, but the pressure on medium and large pike-perch and pike is high and there could be more “trophies” in the fish lake, which was especially emphasized by fishermen at the conference. White fish is also depressingly dominant in the composition of the fish population. A total ban on fishing will significantly reduce the pressure on the lake’s fish stocks.
Burtnieki Municipality Council acknowledged that there is no single main reason for the decline in the quality of the lake ecosystem, therefore, along with the ban on industrial fishing, fishing for special purposes or ameliorative fishing program will be resumed on January 1, 2021.
It was successfully tested in 2017 in collaboration with a group of Finnish scientists and fishermen. The aim of the fishery is to reduce the number of carp in order to increase the number of pike-perch and perch, which are one of the most important links in the lake’s ecosystem food chain. Currently, this decision is being coordinated in the Ministry of Environment and Regional Development, the State Scientific Institute “BIOR” and the State Environmental Service, as well as a system is being developed to organize this fishing, the representative of the municipality explained.
At the same time, work is under way on amendments to the fishing rules in order to reduce pressure on predatory fish stocks, including from fishermen, and to promote the return of fairer fishing licenses.
Burtnieks is the fourth largest lake in Latvia. Since 2012, it has been in the possession of Burtnieki municipality. In accordance with the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on industrial fishing limits and the procedure for their use in inland waters, the fishing net limit in Lake Burtnieki is 2,500 meters, of which 2,000 meters are leased to six farms / fishermen and 500 meters for licensed industrial fishing or self-consumption. The existing lease agreements for industrial fishing rights are valid until December 31, 2021, said the representative of the municipality.
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