Tomorrow, on September 24, at 9 o`clock, the Annual Science Conference of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea will be held in Estonia Concert Hall, which will be the great event of Estonian marine research. Top scientist from all over the world will gather in Tallinn, participants are 19 member countries (Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Poland and others), observer countries (Australia, Greece, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand), and guests from other leading marine research institutes and international organizations. The ICES is also the international coordinator of North Atlantic marine research and evaluation and exploitation refer ence of fish resources and sea ecosystems. Along with the Science Conference will be held the Theme Sessions of concerned committees and delegates of member countries, which will start on September 21 and last till October 1. On behalf of the Republic of Estonia, which hosts this kind of forum for the first time, Mr. Villu Reiljan, Minister of the Environment, will greet the Conference. According to Mr. Evald Ojaveer, Director of Science of the Estonian Marine Institute, the reports to be presented during the four conference days in the Reval Hotel Olympia Conference Center will mainly concern the study of marine ecosystems change, evaluation of the fish resources and restoring perished and overexploited fish resources. The theme is very topical for Estonia because due to the poor situation of fish resources the International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission has reduced, advised by the scientists, the total allowable catch for several years. “Observations made in the Baltic Sea have shown that poisonous seaweed has influenced the reproduction of fish resources. During the very powerful seaweed flourishing periods good undergrowth of the Baltic herring and flounder is not produced”, said Mr. Ojaveer, who is also the delegate of the Republic of Estonia at the ICES. Problems, related to non-native species that cause changes in water bodies, will be discussed also at the Conference. Most common non-native species in Estonia are the Chinese mitten crab, rainbow trout and the carp. The Conference will be opened tomorrow, on September 24, at 9 o`clock, in Estonia Concert Hall and the Conference will start at 11 o`clock, in the Reval Hotel Olympia Conference Center. For additional information please contact: Robert Aps Mr. Evald Ojaveer Background: Estonia has long marine research traditions. K. E. von Baer, Chairman of the Imperial Commission, started studying fishing in Lake Peipsi and in Estonian coastal waters in 1851. Knowingly, it was the first time ever for studying presumable overfishing in the world. In the 1920s Estonia was amongst the so-called free members of the ICES (Estonia didn`t pay membership fee, but participated in the scientific research). Active sea explorers in 1920 –1940s were professors Kaarel Kilde and Heinrich Riikoja at the Tartu University. During the occupation the difficult and complicated role of marine research was borne by N. Miklesaar (later on the head of Limnology Station of Lake Võrtsjärv) and biology doctor L. Rannak. Estonia is the full member (youngest) of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea since 1994. Estonian cooperation with this organization goes primarily through the Estonian Marine Institute, founded in 1992 (the Estonian Marine Institute of University of Tartu since 2001). Good cooperation with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea is very important for Estonia. The only assessments of the Baltic Sea fish resources used by the International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission for determining the values of allowable catch are those composed by the ICES. After the accession to the European Union it is also necessary to update, based on international science, the management of our sea and sea benefits for the right regional policy of seaboards. |
