ESTONIA
Fisheries and aquaculture in Estonia
Russian sanctions inspire search for new markets The fisheries sector in Estonia comprises marine and inland fisheries, freshwater aquaculture, and a processing industry. The marine fishery is further subdivided into the catches from the high seas, and the Baltic Sea. The former are sourced in the North-West Atlantic (NAFO), the North-East Atlantic (NEAFC), and Svalbard. The Baltic Sea fishery has two main components, a coastal fishery and an offshore pelagic fishery. In terms of volumes of fish caught, around two thirds of the total Estonian landings come from the Baltic Sea pelagic fishery, where the main species are Baltic herring and sprat. This is followed by the distant water landings, the coastal fishery in the Baltic Sea, and finally the inland fishery.
Baltic herring and sprat are Estonia’s main fisheries in terms of volumes. Far more is caught than can be consumed at home so much of the catch is exported.
T
he distant water fleet has gradually reduced in size over the years from 10 vessels in 2005 with a total gross tonnage of 11.5 thousand tonnes to just 5 vessels in 2013 with a gross tonnage of 7,700 tonnes. Of the five vessels, three target primarily northern prawn (Pandalus borealis) but also catch fish, while the
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other two exclusively catch fish. The vessels are owned by three companies. In the Svalbard area the shrimp fishery is managed by limiting the number of fishing days but in NAFO and NEAFC areas the main fisheries are limited by the tonnage that may be caught. In the NAFO area Estonian quotas have hardly changed
over the five years to 2015 at about 3,000 tonnes.
Redfish species dominate Estonian NAFO quotas In 2015 too quotas have been maintained at the same level. The biggest quotas are for redfish species which
at 2,085 tonnes in 2015 amount to 70 of the Estonian quotas in NAFO. In the NAFO convention area several zones have been identified as particularly vulnerable to gears with bottom contact and are closed to bottom fishing activities. These restrictions have been put in place mainly to protect seamounts, sponges, and sea pens (colonies of www.eurofishmagazine.com
27/03/15 7:57 PM