Transcript Coalition Clean Baltic - Joining forces for the Baltic

“Problems and challenges
with Baltic Salmon
Management – with
special attention to
Estonian salmon”
-
Mr Gunnar Norén
Executive Secretary to
Coalition Clean Baltic
Coalition Clean Baltic
- For protection of the Baltic Sea Environment
CCB – Joining forces for the Baltic
• CCB is a network of Environmental
NGOs, grass-root level, in 9 countries
bordering the Baltic Sea
• CCB was established in 1990
• CCB is environmental Citizens
Organisations (ECO) in cooperation
• CCB has 27 member organizations
that represents more than 0,5 million
individual members
• CCB has organisations in: Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden
Member organisations
Denmark
Danish Society for Nature Conservation
Estonia
Estonian Green Movement
Estonian Society for Nature Conservation
Tallinn Society for Nature Conservation
Finland
Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
Finnish Society for Nature and Environment
Germany
Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz
Deutschland
InfoBalt
Latvia
Environmental Protection Club of Latvia, VAK
Latvian Society for Nature Conservation
and Monument Protection
Lithuania
Lithuanian Fund for Nature
Lithuania…
Lithuanian Green Movement
Vilnius Nature Protection Society Youth Club
Poland
Ecobaltic Foundation, Gdansk
Ecological Library Foundation, Poznan
Green Federation, GAJA, Szczecin
Klub Gaja, Bielsko-Biala
Polish Ecological Club
Russia
Children of the Baltic, St. Petersburg
Ecodefense, Kaliningrad
Green World, St. Petersburg
Neva River Clearwater, St. Petersburg
GUIDE Environmental Group, Kaliningrad
Sweden
Friends of the Earth Sweden
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
Swedish-Polish Association for
Environmental Protection
WWF-Sweden
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•
Priority Areas
Paromotion of Good ecological water
status,
- sustainable Wastewater management
- sustainable River Basin Management
- water protection measures in Agricultur
•
Prevention of installations and
transports harmful to the Baltic Sea
environment and coastal areas
- Protection of the Baltic Sea environment from harmful impacts of
installations and transports
- Promotion of sustainable development in coastal zones
- Protection of Baltic river ecosystems from harmful installations (hydtoelectric power plants, dams etc )
•
Development of sustainable
Baltic Sea fisheries
- Protection of the naturally spawning Baltic Salmon
- Baltic Sea sustainable fishing practices
CCB activities on Baltic
salmon management
- Observer in IBSFC (International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission)
- Observer in HELCOM (Recommendation on Salmon Protection)
- Organised studies and inventories of salmon rivers in Latvia, Lithuania and
Russia
- Restoration of salmonid spawning bottoms in Latvia and Lithuania
- Reintroduction of wild salmon in West-Pomeranian rivers (Rega, Parseta),
Poland
- Construction of fish-ladder for salmonids in Vilnia river, Lithuania
- River summer-camps for youngsters in Estonia (education, cleaning,
restoration)
- Organised meetings and seminars on protection of wild Baltic salmon
- Project on Protection of salmon in Estonia (e.g. Pärnu river watershed)
Map from “The Status of the Wild
Atlantic Salmon – a river by river
assessment” 2001
Actions needed to save naturally spawning Baltic
Salmon
- Safeguard all weak wild Baltic salmon river
populations, and the genetic diversity
- Maximize production of naturally spawning Baltic
salmon
- Restrict or phase-out salmon fisheries on mixed
salmon populations/wild Baltic salmon
- Limit the extensive artificial salmon stocking
programmes that threaten wild Baltic salmon
 Improper
commercial
fishing policies,
and extensive
artificial salmon
stocking
programmes
threaten the
naturally
spawning Baltic
salmon.
 2/3 of all wild
Baltic salmon
river populations
are threatened
(26 river
populations )
Actions needed to save naturally spawning Baltic
Salmon
- Safeguard all weak wild Baltic salmon river
populations, and the genetic diversity
- Maximize production of naturally spawning Baltic
salmon
- Restrict or phase-out salmon fisheries on mixed
salmon populations/wild Baltic salmon
- Limit the extensive artificial salmon stocking
programmes that threaten wild Baltic salmon
ICES assessment and advice for
management of Baltic salmon
(report from spring 2004)
Salmon in the Gulf of Finland
- At present wild salmon populations occur in nine
Estonian rivers and many of these populations are at risk
of extinction, or at least loss of genetic variability
- Fish ladders would increase the size of reproduction
areas, which could increase productivity and create more
buffer for stocks to stand the variability
- There are no positive signs of increasing parr densities in
the rivers draining into Gulf of Finland
- Fisheries management must ensure adequate
escapement to these rivers, if natural populations are ever
to recover
- The offshore fishery and coastal fisheries must be
reduced to a level that ensures a sufficient escapement to
spawning migration
- All possible means should be used to prevent all fishing
in rivers and river mouths supporting wild stocks ( control
of poaching; prohibit coastal fisheries on migration paths
etc)
- Any TAC (Total Allowable Catch) consistent with the
production of reared salmon in Gulf of Finland may cause a
bycatch of wild salmon which leads to unsustainable
exploitation
Baltic Salmon action plan (SAP)
variability of the wild Baltic
salmon.
The SAP was adopted in 1996 to support the sustainable
management of the Baltic salmon and to secure the survival of
the wild Baltic salmon populations.
CCB proposal - needed to decide on complementary goals and
new actions to be included into the Baltic SAP.
Redefinition of objectives for the SAP, in accordance with ICES
advice
ICES has proposed IBSFC to redefine the objectives for Baltic
salmon management to
- Safeguarding genetic variability
- Safeguarding each wild stock including the weakest
Establish a Salmon Conservation
Organisation for the Atlantic salmon in
the Baltic Sea catchment
Today the management of the Baltic (Atlantic) salmon is handled by the
IBSFC (International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission).
IBSFC is planned to be closed down in the end of 2005.
Instaed a bilateral agreement between EU-Russia on Baltic salmon
fisheries.
What will happen with the international management of Baltic salmon ?
Baltic Salmon Management needs a proper body for discussion on
management where all stakeholders can participate.
CCB Proposal:
Establish a new structure-institution for the management of the Baltic
salmon, e g the Baltic Sea Salmon Conservation Organisation, with the
same opennness and transparency for all stakeholders as within NASCO
Or Baltic Salmon Management , as a Committee under NASCO
Baltic Salmon - conservation status
favourable ?
variability of the wild Baltic
salmon.
Endangered or vulnerable; rare; endemic or require
Atlantic (Baltic) salmon a “species of special interest” in EU
Habitat directive.
particular attention
Shall reach “Good favourable status”
Obligation for all EU-members to fulfil EU Habitat directive.
(Report every two years , and every six years)
Atlantic salmon in Maine
variability of the wild Baltic
salmon.
Salmon in Maine is now seriously depleted.
Historical times – hundreds of thousands of adult returning
salmon
In 2002 – estimated only 871 returning spawners of
salmon to 15-20 rivers
(790 to Penobscot river; 80 to other Maine’s rivers)
Urgent need to reverse the decline of salmon populations.
RECOMMENDATIONS by US National Research
Council
- Primarily focus on the river(s) with strongest populations
(Penobscot river)
- Start a programme of dam removal , and Habitat
restoration
- Hatcheries continue in the short-term
- supplement wild populations (under certain conditions)
- serve as storhouse of fish from various rivers
- No stocking of salmon , of any life stage , in rivers
having wild salmon , unless use of river-specific stocks
- Prohibition of commercial and recreational fishing for
salmon
- Maximum and minimum size limits for trout fishing in
salmon rivers
- Minimum size large enough to protect salmon smolts
- Maximum size small enough to protect adult salmon
- Shaping government structures to be consistent with
salmon biology (and develop multistakeholder
governance institutions for each river basin)
- Hatchery practices evaluated in an adaptivemanagement to further reduce genetic and ecological
effects
*Integration of hatchery and naturally reproducing
salmon could lead to adverse consequences for naturally
reproducing fish.
* Use of hatcheries to rebuild depressed salmon
populations is still unproven technology.
* Hatcheries use should be limited to situations where
advantages outweigh disadvantages
Hatchery release practices must be committed to
“concept of adaptive management” with continuous
evaluation and corrections - changes
Estonia’s role is crucial for
salmon in Gulf of Finland
variability
wild
of the wild Baltic salmon.
* surviving Estonian populations of wild salmon still the last native in Gulf of Finland
(state of populations in Russian rivers unclear)
* Estonian salmon populations
- despite the small size - relatively high level of genetic
diversity
- represent a valuable and unique genetic resource
* Estonia is a key actor for wild salmon in Gulf of Finland
If Estonia is not ready to act – Russia and Finland will not
take actions
* An Estonian salmon management policy to safeguard
wild Estonian salmon – with high political support – should
be developed
Actions to be considered in
Estonian salmon management
e wild Baltic salmon.
 New clear and distinct Goals for salmon management
 Develop well-defined Actions to reach high conservation goals
 Improve fishery regulations – limit salmon fishery further
 Improve enforcement (control ; inspection; information)
 Focus on habitat restoration
- Many measures for salmon habitat improvements in Estonian
National Environment Protection Plan
- Who is responsible for the implementation ?
 Develop information and education material on Estonian salmon
 Develop a salmon aquarium and visitors center in one of the Estonian
salmon rivers
 Phase-out enhancement stocking of Neva salmon/smolts in Estonian
rivers
 Turn Salmon fish-breeding (hatcheries) to supplement wild populations
only with river-specific stocks, and adaptive-management to reduce
adverse genetic and ecological effects
Or use fish-breeding farms for other fish species than salmon
 Future directions for Estonian salmon management
- salmon for sea fisheries (highest possible production)
- use for sportfishing (anglers) –safeguard wild populations
 A study on the potential value of strong wild salmon stocks in Estonian
rivers used for sportfishing, compared to the value for commercial fisheries
in the sea
 Develop Action Plans for each salmon river (regulations, restorartion
measures, responsibilities, time-table, financing )
Involve all stakeholders in preparation
Coming actions urgently needed
of the wild Baltic salmon.
Estonia must make a choice now
* secure all wild salmon stocks in Estonian rivers, or not
If you wait some years –
High risk unique salmon populations are lost
forever
* Other countries, e.g. Sweden, have lost unique wild
salmon populations
now regret the lack of powerful actions some years ago
Wild Baltic salmon – a Baltic heritage to be
esteemed
Let the wild Baltic
salmon become a
symbol for a unique
and rich Baltic Sea
Baltic Region citizens
are obliged to restore
all wild Baltic salmon
populations.