Dwindling cod quotas and the pandemic have left their mark on Lithuania’s Baltic Sea fi sheries

Agriculture. In the fi sheries and aquaculture sector what are the priorities of the new dispensation and how will the industry be aff ected by this change? What are the highlights of the new operational programme and how do they diff er from the old one?

Th e approved programme of the government pays special attention to the sustainable development of aquaculture production. It is also expected to make a signifi cant contribution to achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal. However, it is important to mention that all Lithuanian fi sheries sectors – fi shing, aquaculture, processing are diff erent and face various natural, geographical, economic, and social situations and challenges. Th e preparation and implementation of the Operational Programme for the Fisheries Sector for 2021–2027 aims to respond to these challenges, by developing synergies at the Baltic Sea Basin level, and focusing on actions that can be supported by the EMFAF. Th e programme also builds on the new Farm-to-Fork strategy for a fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly food system and on the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which aims to make biodiversity an integral part of the EU‘s overall economic growth strategy. Fishermen and aquaculture producers have an important role to play in the transition to a fairer and more sustainable food system. Th e implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the EMFAF will contribute to these eff orts, while contributing to the socio-economic goals of fi shermen (and their families) and aquaculture producers. Th e program aims to create fl exible support systems to help move from a wide range of very specifi c small measures to more thorough action plans that can be used fl exibly as circumstances change. Th is will be the main diff erence of the new programme.

Quota swaps offer some cod fi shers relief

Lithuanian catches in the Baltic Sea amounted to almost 17,000 tonnes in 2020, the lowest since 2013 and a 17% drop compared to the average of the last fi ve years. The decline is largely due to lower cod and sprat catches. Some four fi fths of the catches are taken by the large-scale fl eet operating in the open Baltic, the remainder by the small-scale coastal vessels.

The Baltic Sea provides about a fi fth of Lithuania’s total catches of fi sh and seafood. Th e high seas and inland waters account for the remainder. Th e Baltic Sea fl eet comprises the small-scale coastal fl eet and the large-scale open water fl eet which together consisted of just over 130 vessels in 2020, a number that has stayed largely stable since 2016. Small scale vessels account for three fourths of the Baltic Sea fl eet in terms of numbers. According to the latest Annual Economic Report on the EU fi shing fl eet (STECF 20-06), the small-scale coastal segment is further divided into vessels under 10 m fi shing with passive gears and vessels in the 10-12 m bracket operating in the coastal area. Currently there is no strict defi nition for the coastal fi shery, other than that it in the

Lithuanian fi shers in coastal waters target a variety of species including round goby, herring, smelt, fl ounder, vimba, pike-perch, and garfi sh.

Lithuania's Baltic Sea quotas, tonnes

ICES zones 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Cod: 2,613 2,477 1,834 1,612 52 130 Western 22-24 298 17 0 31 8 97 Eastern 25-32 2,315 2,460 1,834 1,581 44 33 Herring 25-29, 32 5,182 6,469 6,933 6,495 5,632 2,848 Sprat 22-32 10,125 12,965 16,678 16,441 11,157 11,158 Atlantic 22-31 1,486 1,649 566 550 521 1,464 salmon

Total 19,406 24,388 27,279 26,160 16,893 14,266

Lithuanian catches in the Baltic Sea, tonnes

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Cod 1,669 1,729 775 125 11 Herring 5,199 4,036 6,676 6,083 5,577 Sprat 11,548 12,480 16,499 16,228 11,140 Flounder 303 258 365 69 77 Total 18,719 18,503 24,315 22,505 16,805

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Lithuania

coastal area and covers boats not exceeding 12 m.

Th e large-scale open Baltic Sea fl eet comprises vessels above 18 m. Th ese are mainly either pelagic or demersal trawlers. Th e main species targeted by this fl eet are the pelagic stocks of sprat and herring, as well as cod and salmon. However, the total allowable catch (TAC) of cod in the Baltic Sea has plummeted over the last years as it has become increasingly apparent that the two cod stocks, the eastern Baltic cod and the western Baltic cod, are under serious threat. Several factors seem to be aff ecting the stocks including a rise in water temperatures brought on by global warming, the increasing abundance of grey seals, which aff ect cod directly by preying on them but, more insidiously, also harbour a parasite that attacks cod livers. In addition, the oxygen content of the water has been declining partly due to the infl ow of nutrients present in agricultural and municipal runoff , but also because of a lack of fresh infl ows from the North Sea. While the fl ow of nutrients from agriculture and municipalities has been declining over the years it has not so far had an impact on oxygen levels as measured at the seabed.

Even stringent protection measures cannot guarantee the future of Baltic cod stocks

The lack of oxygen in turn has an impact on a species of crustacean that cod feed on depriving the fish of a source of nutrition. The distribution of sprat, another species that cod feed on, has also changed so there is less overlap between the two and thus less feed for the cod. This combination of factors has led, since the 90s, to a marked change in the eastern Baltic stock of cod. Individuals are stunted, skinnier, and are maturing at a smaller size so that the volume of eggs the females produce has also declined. Fewer eggs mean fewer fish in the next generation. Scientists estimate that the stock is unlikely to recover in the near future even if is not fished at all. Policy-makers’ options are limited. Natural phenomena are difficult to regulate, so measure have been put in place to reduce the pressure on stocks from fishing. Spatial and temporal closures, the use of selective gear, bans on the targeted fishing of cod, and changes to the minimum landing size are in force. On 28 April 2021, the Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture reminded fishers of the ban on fishing with any type of gear in subdivisions 25 and 26 (the eastern Baltic Sea) between 1 May and 31 August to protect spawning cod. In 2021, a cod bycatch quota of 94 tonnes in the western Baltic and 33 tonnes in the eastern is all that is available to Lithuanian fishers.

Some cod fi shers manage by swapping quotas

Alfonsas Bargaila is the chairman of the Lithuanian Fisheries Producers’ Association which represents companies in both the coastal and the open Baltic Sea segment. He agrees that balancing fi shing capacity with fi shing opportunities would contribute to restoring fi sh stocks in the Baltic. With the ban on cod fi shing, the available quotas for herring and sprat can be caught in a couple of months and vessels have to stay in port for the rest of the year. As a result, he expects vessels to be withdrawn from the fl eet in 2021. So far, however, the decline in quotas since 2018 has had no impact on the number of vessels in the Lithuanian fl eet, which has remains unchanged since 2016. Demersal fi shers denied cod-fi shing opportunities have switched to targeting pelagics instead, although quotas for sprat (-33%) and herring (-59%) have fallen over the four years to 2021. Alenas Bulauskis, head of the Fisheries Compliance and Enforcement Division, Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Agriculture, points out that Lithuanian fi sheries have been managed with individually transferable quotas (ITQ) since 2014. Th is allows fi shers to buy or swap quotas when they need to.

Alfonsas Bargaila, Chairman, Lithuanian Fisheries Producer Association

Alenas Bulauskis, head of the Fisheries Compliance and Enforcement Division

Th e number of swaps has reached new highs because of the last years’ lack of cod quotas for a targeted cod fi shery. Th is makes the small cod quota allocated for bycatch very valuable as companies with pelagic quotas need at least a small cod bycatch quota. Cod fi shers have used this facility to obtain quotas for pelagic fi sh which has enabled them to continue fi shing after the restrictions on targeting cod were introduced.

Quotas can be swapped not only between Lithuanian fi shers but also with fi shers from other EU countries. For example, Estonian or Swedish vessels interested in catching more Baltic salmon and Lithuanian fi shers not utilising their salmon quota, could negotiate a swap benefi ting both parties. Th e possibility to swap quotas also extends to diff erent segments of the Lithuanian fl eet. If, for instance, by the middle of the year coastal fi shers have not used all their pelagic quota, we can suggest a swap with the largescale Baltic Sea fl eet, says Alenas Bulauskis, head of the Fisheries Compliance and Enforcement Division, Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Agriculture. Even if the quantities involved are not very large, swapping between the two fl eet segments is a possibility. Th e swaps are mediated by the Ministry of Agriculture to follow who is catching what and to make suggestions to the sector if there is a bottleneck. Individual fi shermen, however, have been hit by the lack of cod quotas. All the companies belonging to the Lithuanian Fisheries Producers’ Association suff ered losses, says Alfonsas Bargaila. With cod fi shing quotas, companies operating in the open Baltic Sea were able to

Small-scale fi shermen threatened by proposal in Lithuanian Parliament

The end of commercial inland and coastal fi shing?

A proposal that is currently going through the Lithuanian parliament seeks to ban inland commercial fi shing in the Curonian lagoon and fi shing in several coastal area, while another would forbid fi shing within 300 m of the shoreline. If the ban is adopted, it would signal the end of the coastal fi shery after fi shers have invested in trap nets to fi sh more sustainably. According to Antanas Kontautas, a scientist at the Marine Research Institute of Klaipeda University, the proposal affecting the Curonian lagoon is a result of confl icts between the angling community and commercial fi shers that have ballooned from a question of fi sheries management into a political issue. Certain valuable species like pike, perch, and above all pike-perch, are targeted by both groups. The pike-perch stock in the Lithuanian part of the Curonian lagoon (three fourths of the lagoon belongs to Russia) is not healthy which is affecting catches. Another factor adding to the dispute is the ban on fi shing cod in the Baltic which affects both commercial fi shers and anglers. Investments in equipment for cod fi shing made by individuals in both groups have not delivered the expected returns. Socioeconomics may also play a role as the number of people involved and the value of the small-scale fi shery are both considerably less than for the angling sector. Fishermen’s organisations emphatically oppose the proposal citing scientifi c advice showing the health of the fi sh Antanas Kontautas, a scientist at the Marine Research Institute stocks they target is not poor enough to warrant its adoption. While agree- of Klaipeda University and an expert on angling among other fi shing to the need for restrictions during the spawning season, they say the related topics. proposal will destroy the traditional long-standing, subsistence fi shery on the Baltic coast. It will also have an impact on the round goby, an alien species, which is currently targeted by fi shers who have found markets for it. if fi shing is banned altogether up to 300 m from the shore this fi sh will displace the already depleted herring and other stocks from the coast. Angling is a popular pastime in Lithuania though estimates of the number of people who fi sh for pleasure vary from 100 thousand to half a million depending on how it is defi ned. The number of annual permits sold, a proxy for a regular angler, is about 70,000. Anglers target several different species of which the most popular are pike, pike perch, and perch. Other fi sh include bream, roach, chub, and grayling as well as salmon and sea trout. In western Lithuania, the waters of the Curonian lagoon, the delta of the Nemunas river, and the Baltic Sea are popular destinations, but the Nemunas’ tributaries, Neris and Merkys, smaller rivers, and lakes offer anglers opportunities in other parts of the country too.

Giedrius Mačernis, head of the Baltic Sea Fisheries Control Division

plan their activities all year round. Now, he says, the available quotas for herring and sprat do not allow effi cient fi shing operations through the year. His members fi nd it diffi cult to switch to other fi sh species such as sprat, herring, salmon, or fl ounder, because they (excluding fl ounder) are subject to quotas and swapping is not always feasible. With fl ounder the issue is diff erent. Fishing for fl ounder is carried out with the help of bottom trawls, but the risk of exceeding the bycatch quota for cod is too high, while at the same time, the price for fl ounder is low. Th e coastal fi shers are better placed. While catching eastern cod is forbidden there are several other species that can be caught including round goby, herring, smelt, fl ounder, and vimba bream.

Bycatch may not be used for human consumption

Th e cod bycatch in the pelagics fi shery is actually insignifi cant. In 2019 the total bycatch of cod in the pelagic fi shery was about 14 tonnes while in 2020 it was about 1 tonne, reports Giedrius Ma ernis, head of the Baltic Sea Fisheries Control Division. Considering that the cod bycatch quota was 202 tonnes in 2020 this was less than half a percent. Th e most common bycatch species are cod and fl ounder. Bycatch is treated in accordance with the landing obligation that has been in force across the EU since 2019. Th is legislation stipulates that bycatch of undersized species caught and landed may not be used for human consumption, but instead be made into petfood, fi shmeal, pharmaceuticals, or nutraceuticals, etc. It also specifi es that all catches of species regulated by catch limits or minimum landing sizes must be landed and counted against the fi sher’s quotas. Th e purpose of the legislation is to prevent discards by encouraging the use of more selective gear to avoid unwanted catches.

Coastal fi shers are switching to more sustainable fi shing gear

In Lithuania, a combination of factors has contributed to the coastal fi shing fl eet switching to more sustainable fi shing gears. Coastal fi shers, who number 100150 people employed by about 50 companies, traditionally fi sh with gill nets which can be fi xed up to a depth of 20 m, the limit for coastal fi shers to operate. In 2020 the Fisheries Service introduced a rule forbidding cod-specifi c gill nets and another that stipulated that when coastal fi shers have a bycatch of cod of more than 10%, they must report it to the Fisheries Service which will suspend fi shing in the area for three days, explains Mr Ma ernis. To assist in the implementation of the landing obligation, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund off ers fi shers support to change to more sustainable gear. All these developments encouraged coastal fi shers to switch from gill nets to trap nets, which have gradually become the main fi shing gear in the coastal fi shery. Trap nets are more selective and therefore more sustainable. Th e mesh size is smaller than on gill nets, so cod do not get caught. In addition, trap nets are fi xed at a depth of 3.5-4 m which is closer to the shore than the gill nets were. Cod typically do not come this close to the shore reducing further the risk

The Lithuanian Fisheries Producer Association

Members process their catch to increase its value

Established in 1997 the LFPA represents fi ve companies fi shing in the open Baltic Sea and 18 coastal fi shing enterprises. These represent about 30% and 40% respectively of the vessels in the two segments. The vessels in the open Baltic are between 20 and 25.5 m and have been fi shing mainly in the Lithuanian economic zone though previously they fi shed also near Denmark or Poland. The main target species are herring, sprat, cod (only bycatch), and fl ounder. The coastal vessels are 5-12 m in length and the fi shers use passive gear targeting round goby, herring, smelt, fl ounder, vimba, pike-perch, garfi sh, and cod (only bycatch). The members are primarily fi shermen, catching the fi sh and selling it to primary buyers. Some coastal fi shers have invested in value-adding activities, such as smoking, drying, or salting which provides an additional source of income as it is diffi cult to make a living only from fi shing activities. The last year has been particularly hard for the sector says Alfonsas Bargaila, president of LFPA, as the pandemic shut down markets, retail outlets, and the restaurant sector. In addition, support for the sector, he says, was received only in 2021 although the impact of the pandemic was felt already in March 2020.

Some small-scale fi shers are extracting more value from their catch by processing the fi sh into smoked, dried, or salted products.

Vessels fi shing in the open Baltic Sea target sprat and herring as well as salmon and cod. In the absence of cod quotas, those of other species have become even more important (archive photo).

of cod bycatch. From the LFPA, Mr Bargaila confi rms, most coastal fi shers have taken advantage of the support available to purchase more selective fi shing gear.

Open Baltic Sea vessels are subject to intense monitoring

Th e large-scale fl eet operating in the open Baltic Sea is responsible for the bulk of Lithuania’s Baltic Sea catches of some 17,000 tonnes in 2020. Th ese vessels, 27 in 2020, are subject to several control measures including physical inspections at sea, vessel monitoring, traceability systems, and electronic logbooks. Inspectors cross check catches and landings with the logbooks and since last year, following an EFCA recommendation, vessels inspected at sea are again inspected at landing especially when reinforced controls are carried out in certain periods. A European Commission proposal to tighten control rules is in the process of being adopted and will potentially see all fi shing vessels being tracked, the harmonisation of sanctions for the infringement of fi sheries rules across the EU, and improved traceability of seafood products. While Mr. Ma ernis, and no doubt inspectors in other EU countries, supports the use of CCTV on large-scale vessels to monitor fi shing operations in real time, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries decided not to make it mandatory unless as a penalty for vessels that infringe repeatedly. Not complying with regulations can take diff erent forms, but those typically seen by Lithuanian inspectors include the use of prohibited or non-compliant gear, or the failure to record or report catches.

A traceability system that tracks the fi sh from the sea to the fi nal buyer

European legislation demands the traceability of seafood from sea to plate and in Lithuania a system has been in place for over two years that can trace the fi sh from the vessel to the last buyer. Th e system records the fi sh from the vessel to the landing point and each transaction in the distribution chain. All the data is maintained in the Fisheries Service’s system to which the fi rst buyers have access so they can record their own transactions which are associated with their user ids. In this way the Fisheries Service knows who has bought and sold what. Th is control extends all the way to the retail outlets at small markets where inspectors can use quick response (QR) code scanners to scan boxes of fi sh and confi rm their provenance and their compliance with the 48-hour rule which specifi es that fi xed nets must be emptied every 48 hours at most.

By ensuring compliance with the rules, adding value to catches, fi shing more sustainably, and developing science-based solutions all the players in the Lithuanian fi sheries sector, fi sheries managers, fi shers, and researchers, contribute to an environmentally, economically, and socially viable sector in the long term.