14 illegal fishing nets removed off the Salacgrīva coast
Inspectors from Latvia's State Environmental Service pulled 14 illegally placed fishing nets, totalling 1,230 metres, from coastal waters of the Gulf of Riga in Salacgrīva parish. The fish caught in them were released back into the water.
Inspectors of the State Environmental Service (VVD) of Latvia have removed 14 illegally set fishing nets from the Gulf of Riga coastal waters in Salacgrīva parish. The nets had a combined length of 1,230 metres, according to Aija Jalinska, head of the VVD Public Relations Division. Fishing along the coast is currently prohibited, so the nets were a breach of the rules.
What was found in the nets
The nets held five sea trout, two salmon, 30 vimba bream, roughly 20 kilograms of Baltic herring and 12 flounder. Inspectors freed all the fish from the nets and released them back into the water.
How the check unfolded
During a control operation in the coastal zone while the fishing ban was in force, inspectors became suspicious of possible illegal fishing. They surveyed the stretch of coast by boat to verify this. The suspicions were confirmed, and the nets were lifted out of the water.
The ban in detail
Under the rules on commercial fishing in territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone, fishing with any type of gear is banned in coastal waters from 1 October to 15 November. Exceptions apply only where the rules themselves provide for them.
In October and November, VVD inspectors, working with the National Guard, local governments and volunteer environmental inspectors, provide round-the-clock monitoring of rivers where salmon and sea trout spawn. Residents are asked to report suspected violations of environmental protection or fishing rules.
