At the Annual Meeting of the North-West Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) held in Dartmouth, Canada last week was decided to leave the next year`s shrimp fishery quota at the same level as this year`s because of the good condition of shrimp stock at the moment. For Estonia 1667 fishing days of shrimp in Division 3M and the possibility to fish for 145 tons of shrimp have been allocated for next year also. According to Mr. Ain Soome, Director General of the Fish Resources Department, who attended the Meeting, the Fisheries Commission approved the block quota distribution scheme, which was agreed upon between Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia in June. The block quota dating from the Soviet period was a joint quota for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia concerning fishing possibilities for redfish and squid at North-West Atlantic. According to the scheme, Russia`s portion of the block quota will be 65,98 %; and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will all have equally 11,34 %. Next year Estonia can catch 1571 tons of redfish at North-West Atlantic Division 3M and and 128 tons of squid in Subareas 3 and 4. According to Finland, the Fisheries Commission reduced the quota for Greenland Halibut by half, because fisheries scientists consider the situation of this fish species to be bad. The Fisheries Commission established multiannual rebuilding programme for restoring the Greenland Halibut stock, according to which total allowable catch will be annually reduced till the year 2007. Next year Estonia can catch 985 tons of Greenland Halibut along with 11 other states. Those states are the United States of America, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Korea, Iceland, France (who represents St Pierre and Miquelon), Cuba and Denmark (who represents the Faroe Islands and Greenland). Only the European Union, Canada, Russia and Japan have the individual quota. At the moment Estonia has eight ships for catching shrimp. Estonia`s vessels started fishing for shrimp at North-West Atlantic in the year 1993. For additional information please contact: Mr. Ain Soome Ms. Agnes Aaslaid |
