In Chapter 7 of Part 2 of the Accession Treaty these measures are outlined as technical adaptations to protect the Baltic herring resources in the Gulf of Riga. The engine power of ships catching fish in this area may not exceed 221 kW. In addition to this, it is mandatory to draw up a list of ships catching fish in the Gulf of Riga. The same requirements apply to Latvian fishing vessels. In connection with the above, only the ships of those countries that have previously caught fish in the Gulf of Riga (i.e., only Estonian and Latvian ships) will be able to continue their activities in this area. Without the restrictions laid down in the Accession Treaty the system of access to the Gulf of Riga would have been the same as to the rest of EU waters: the ships of other Member States would have been able to come fishing in waters outside the 12-mile territorial water of Estonia and Latvia. The list of Estonian ships delivered to Brussels includes 35 ships with a total length 15 * 27 metres and 273 fish boats with a length 12 metres and less, the total fishing capacity of which is 14,733 kW. New vessels can be included within the limits of this fishing capacity, meaning that a new ship can be added to the list by erasing an existing one. Since on 1 May 2004 Latvian fishing zone in the Gulf of Riga became a common fishing zone of the European Union, the area of the Gulf of Riga where Estonian ships can fish has increased. Further information: Ain Soome, Head of the Fish Resources Department phone (+372) 6604 543; (+372) 51 20 430 Enno Kobakene, Chief Specialist of the Fish Resources Department phone (+372) 6604 577 |
