New report analyses small-scale fi shing in Estonia and suggests ways to rejuvenate it

New report analyses small-scale fi shing in Estonia and suggests ways to rejuvenate it Future-proofi ng the small-scale fi shery

The coastal fi shery in Estonia is defi ned by fi shing at a depth of up to 20 m. The small-scale fi shery is specifi ed as professional fi shing on vessels below 12 m and using only passive gears, trawling is forbidden. The two categories overlap—the coastal fi shery includes small-scale fi shers as does the inland water fi shery on Estonia’s largest lakes.

Fishing vessels used on the Peipsi lake, where pikeperch and perch are important species for their value on export markets.

The most important fi sh species targeted by the coastal fi shing sector are perch and herring in coastal waters with marginal volumes of smelt, fl ounder, round goby, and vimba bream. Th e small-scale coastal fi shery has been fairly stable over the last 10 years according to some indicators—the number of fi shers (about 2,300) and the landings of fi sh (13-14 thousand tonnes)—however, the catch value has increased over the last decade by 27 to just over EUR10m, and the average age of the fi shers has been increasing and now stands at 53.

Stationery gears of different kinds characterise coastal fi shing

In Estonia coastal fi shery catches are regulated by gears, mainly trap nets, gill nets, seine nets, and to a limited extent, longlines. Fishers have permits for a certain number of gears which determines how much they can catch, and the number of gears is based on historical fi shing rights. However, the number of gears is not commensurate with the resource (the number is too high) according to Toomas Armulik, the head of the Fisheries Information Centre in Estonian Fishery 2018, however, attempts to reduce the number of gears is resisted by the fi shermen. One way forward he suggests may be for the state to buy historical fi shing rights (analogous to decommissioning vessels) or to link subsidies to a reduction in eff ort.

Th e marine areas where the fi shers operate include the Pärnu

Bay, Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga, the Väinameri Sea and the Central Baltic near the Saaremaa and Hiiumaa islands. Th e catch structure and volumes caught vary in the diff erent areas with Pärnu Bay responsible for the overwhelming majority of the catch (over 70) followed by the Gulfs of Finland and Riga at about 10 each. Catches in the Central Baltic amount to some 2. Th ere are also slight diff erences in the gears deployed with all four gear types used in Pärnu Bay and predominantly gill nets and trap nets being used in the Gulf of Finland, the Väinameri Sea, and the Gulf of Riga. In the Gulf of Riga seine nets and longlines are also used to some extent. While a large number of species are caught in all the fi ve areas, it is largely the same three or four species that dominate the catch in all areas, herring, perch, fl ounder, and smelt.

Perch and pikeperch are important target species for inland fi shers

In Lake Võrtsjärv catches have been fairly stable for the last couple of decades. Over the eight years to 2018 they averaged 204 tonnes, while for the eight years before that the average was 206 tonnes. Pikeperch, bream, and pike are the dominant target species while gill nets and trap nets are the main fi shing gears used. Lake Peipsi is shared with Russia and is Estonia’s largest lake. Catches over the eight years to 2018 have averaged some 2,500 tonnes of which pikeperch, perch, and bream account for the lion’s share (over 80 in 2018). Trap nets, gill nets, and seine net are the main fi shing gears of which diff erent kinds of trap nets take the majority of the total catch. Both the number of companies that sought fi shing permits and the number of fi shermen have shown declining trends over the eight years to 2018. In the case of the companies the reduction has been gradual from 71 to 66 companies, while the number of fi shers has fallen 35 to 264.

In Peipsi lake the fi shing follows an “Olympic” system, where quota is not given to each user, but the fi shing is terminated when daily reports and logbook records indicate that the quota is fulfi lled. Currently the system encourages fi shers to fi sh all they can until the quota is exhausted. However, this can lead to fulfi lled quotas on one species choking the fi shing for others as the gears are not species specifi c. In addition, this system can fl ood the market with fi sh thus depressing prices. Discussions were therefore initiated in 2019 between the stakeholders to replace the Olympic fi shery with one of individual quotas. ITQs will stagger the fi shery benefi ting both the fi shers by smoothening the income stream and consumers who will be able to buy fresh fi sh over a longer period. Fishing companies feel that individual quotas will be economically viable and will strike a balance between capacity and opportunities.

A trap net left to dry and be repaired if necessary. Trap nets are a stationery gear used in the coastal fi shery.

Very few full-time commercial fi shers

Today just 10-15 of the coastal fi shers are fully dependent on their profession, for most it is a part time occupation supplemented by other work usually unrelated to fi shing. Fishers are still primarily catching and selling the untreated fi sh though valueadding activities are increasing (from a low base). Th ere are some bigger companies involved in the sector and they are active along the entire value chain—catching, processing, and selling on the domestic market or also exporting.

As in other parts of the Baltic Sea region, in Estonia too the coastal fi shery needs to reinvent itself to stay relevant, dynamic, and attractive to young people. Th e latter is particularly important, says Jüri Sakkeus, a consultant and co-author of a new report* on the Estonian coastal fi shery, if the future of the coastal fi shery is to be secured. One of the key ways of attracting new blood to the small scale fi sheries sector is by making it a more lucrative activity. Th e coastal fi shery today does not off er the same potential to earn and provide for a family as other sectors of the economy. At the same time boats and fi shing gear are usually old and worn. Coupled with this are the often harsh working conditions—the weather is frequently inclement, hours are ungodly, and the job is physically demanding. While little can be done about the weather the report sees potential in increasing the local addition of value to the catch and in fi shers diversifying their sources of income by, for example, off ering fi shing tourism services. Th e growth of the local market both from tourism and

from an increasing trend that the pandemic has highlighted of people moving to smaller places and working remotely will also benefi t the coastal fi shery. In addition, ongoing measures to improve the status of stocks also contribute to the economic sustainability of the sector.

EMFF has an important role in supporting the coastal fi shery

Th e coastal fi shery already benefi ts directly and indirectly from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) which, often through Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), has supported the construction of common infrastructure like ports, landing sites, and small processing facilities, as well as equipment for individual fi shers such as seal scarers. FLAGs also design and implement turnkey projects that, for example, create accommodation, activities for visitors, places to eat, and other facilities, to make an area attractive for tourists and boost the local economy. Th e indirect benefi ts include support for Producer Organisations (POs) of which coastal fi shers are sometimes members. Th e EMFF 2021-27 will continue to support coastal fi shing considering it critical to the economic sustainability of coastal communities as well as a repository of cultural value. EU strategies including the Farm to Fork strategy and the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, both part of the European Green Deal, are relevant to coastal fi sheries. Representatives from fi sheries areas and private and public stakeholders in coastal communities should explore the opportunities off ered by these strategies to develop and support projects that increase sustainability thereby benefi ting both the community as well as the environment.

There are thus several factors that influence coastal fisheries— positively and negatively. Based on these, the report considers four scenarios arranging them along two bisecting axes: the Y axis represents coastal communities and extends from thriving to failing, while the X axis represents the coastal fisheries which extend from profitable contributors to the local economy to marginal activities (fishing as a lifestyle/hobby). The most desirable outcome is thriving coastal communities and a profitable coastal fishery. This scenario is based on healthy fish stocks, the presence of large integrated companies that cover the entire value chain, as well as increasing demand from both tourists and residents that encourages local small–scale suppliers of fish and fish products as well as of other goods and services. Another slightly less attractive scenario assumes decreasing catches but increasing value addition, a growing coastal community thanks to tourists, migration, and recreational fishers who acquire fishing rights from commercial fishers. At the other end of the scale, the least desirable outcome foresees coastal fishing reduced to a lifestyle activity or hobby and coastal communities that have withered. This scenario results from assumptions of a decrease in coastal catches due to unhealthy stocks and restrictions on fishing, the poor utilisation of support programmes, the ageing of fishers and the decline in their number, and the transfer of fishing rights to anglers. A slightly more positive scenario assumes that fishers do not add value to their catch, but sell it unprocessed, some sell their fishing rights to companies and go on to work for them, while others migrate.

Model helps policy-makers take informed decisions

While the probability of a scenario depends on factors that are difficult to control, for example, environmental conditions in the Baltic or the spread of a pandemic, the likelihood of a scenario is also influenced by deliberate policy changes. The model enables an analysis of the impact of policies on a scenario to see whether they contribute to achieving the outcome envisaged in the scenario. It is thus a tool that aids stakeholders make more informed decisions. Having identified the most desirable scenarios the authors also suggest strategies that will enhance the likelihood of achieving them and mitigating the threats. These strategies include improved management of fish stocks (building fish passes, restoring spawning grounds, neutralising the threat from predators) as they provide the foundation for profitable fisheries and flourishing coastal communities; infrastructure development, improved fishing gear, and a modern working environment to attract newcomers to the commercial fishing profession; encouraging and exploiting trends among people such as moving temporarily or permanently to coastal communities; and supporting Fisheries Local Action Groups as they are representative of their communities and most knowledgeable about local needs.

As the report shows, the right policies and incentives will go a long way towards securing the future of the coastal fi shing sector and the communities it supports.

*Coastal Fishing – Visions and Future Scenarios, Jüri Sakkeus, Silja Lassur, Aado Keskpaik, November 2020

The loss of the Horeca market is a blow to producers of high value fi sh species

Pandemic affects coastal fi sheries too

The pandemic had both negative and positive effects on the coastal fi shery. Among the former was the temporary loss of export orders as international demand for the high value predatory species (pikeperch, perch, and pike) fell because of the collapse of the Horeca (hotels, restaurants, catering) sector. Restrictions on travel also infl uenced the number of foreign tourists coming to Estonia though this may have been compensated for by increased domestic tourism. Longer term damage from the pandemic is likely to be from the loss of jobs and the lowering of living standards as government support programmes wind down. On the brighter side the coronavirus forced people to work remotely accelerating an existing trend where people spend more time working, for example, from summerhouses. As these second homes are often located in coastal areas this trend strengthens the community because these temporary residents create a market for locally produced goods and services including fi sh and fi sh products.