A Near and Long Term Development Program for the Management of Fish Resources and Recreational Angling in the City and Rural Territory of Salacgrīva

This program is aimed at establishing fish management and recreational angling as a stable and naturally functioning part of the economic development and environmental protection in Salacgrīva and its rural territory. The program envisions several interrelated sub-programs for the effective implementation of the overall task.

The program concept is to provide mutually harmonized creative development in Salacgrīva and its rural territory for fish resource management and recreational angling. Its aim is to become part of a national as well as EU wide tourism program.

The program task is to create an integrated model for the economy including fish management, recreational angling, and environmental protection. This aspect of the program is to be developed and implemented over several years.

Conceptually, this model is coordinated with the EC “Water Framework Directive” (2000/60/EC, 23.10.2000) and the Latvian “Law on Water Management” (12.11.2002). Both of these documents consider the river basin as an entity whose water management would be a separate process with public involvement.

Licencing of anglers is to be introduced gradually in the waters of Salacgrīva and its rural territory.  This is not to be considered as an end in itself, but rather as a means for implementing professional management of angling and fish resource protection and renewal in the Salaca River Basin and the Bay of Riga shoreline areas.

Goals:

·                To assure maintenance of biological diversity and the utilization of natural resources on a sustainable basis for fish management and recreational angling in accordance with Latvian local regulations and international agreements, such as “The National Program for Biological Diversity” and the requirements of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve’s “General Regulations for Protection and Use”.

·                To assure continuity of the territory’s biological diversity and sustainability of natural resources.  Special attention is to be paid to ecology and ethics in educating children and youths.

• To establish the Salaca River as an internationally recognized wild salmon spawning river with the status of a National Index River. Its management is to be in accordance with the regulations worked out by the National Fish Management Research Institute “The Salaca River Fish Utilization Regulations” and the International Baltic Sea Fishing Commission “Salmon Action Plan 1997-2010”.
• To develop fish management and an environmentally friendly local program for international recreational angling in the Salaca River Basin within Salacgrīva and its rural territory. Special emphasis is to be directed toward management of the Salaca River tributaries and the protection and renewal of their fish resources. Also, recreational fishing is to be supported along the shores of the Bay of Riga.
• To develop and diversify employment in fish management and recreational angling within the territory. Special emphasis is to be devoted to involving the Bay of Riga shore area fishermen in recreational angling.
• To establish and properly equip a “City Council Authorized Persons Group for Fish Recources” as mandated by the Council of Salacgrīva and its Rural Territory. This would assure that fish management and recreational angling are systematically controlled and regulations observed within the territory in coordination with the country’s environmental protection agencies and the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve.
• To develop fish farming within the territory.
• To acquire local and international experience with respect to EU fish management and recreational angling requirements, their development and modernization.

This program has been approved by the Council of Salacgrīva City and its Rural Territory at its meeting on 10.07.2003. Program is subject to adjustments during its implementation.

Angling in Latvia