[]TL: 20 YEARS OF BALTIC FISHERIES MISMANAGEMENT GREENPEACE SO: LADA EMELIANOVA, GREENPEACE RUSSIA, (GP) DT: MAY 11, 1993 Keywords: environmet oceans fisheries russia baltic sea agreements / The International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission (IBSFC), or the so-called Warsaw Commission, was established in 1973 to safeguard all marine living resources of the Baltic Sea. Its purposes were to preserve and increase living resources so an optimum yield could be harvested, and to expand cooperation in the region for the conservation of living resources of the Baltic Sea and the Belts. The reason the establishment of the Commission was to prevent a repeat in the Baltic Sea of the North Sea herring stock collapse. A number of goals, to be attained through close cooperation, were set up: conservation of resources, artificial reproduction of valuable fish species, and other steps toward the rational and effective exploitation of living resources. Maximum and sustainable productivity was stressed by all parties as being very important. In the beginning things looked good, but something went wrong... Despite the IBSFC's admirable ambitions, the fisheries and marine 6!ving resources situation in the Baltic Sea has never been as bad as it is today: * the few remaining populations of wild, naturally produced salmon are on the verge of extinction; * the stocks of cod have never been smaller; * the bulk of the herring and sprat catch is used in a wasteful way for fish-meal and oil; * the management of the fisheries has led to a socioeconomic crisis in all coastal communities. New fishing methods and advanced technology, changes in weather patterns, and human effects on the environment are often blamed for the current situation. However, politicians and authorities are responsible for ensuring that the resources are not overexploited, taking all factors into account. An ecosystem under such heavy pressure from various sources needs rigorous management, not relentless harvesting. Greenpeace believes that the IBSFC has failed in the management of fisheries. Their total allowable catches (TACs) have been more like optimistic expectations. High TACs have been set for shortsighted economic gain, resulting in loss of sustainability. Decreases in fish populations have also negatively affected marine animals such as seals, porpoises, and seabirds. Depleted fish stocks lead to starvation and stronger competition between animals and between humans and animals. Obvious and tragic evidence of this is that many fishermen are arguing for culling of seals that are poaching fish from nets, even though they know that these seals are the last survivors of populations that exceeded 500,000 at the beginning of the century. The culling of some of the remaining 5,000 grey seals is not going to solve a problem caused by the wrong fishing policy. SALMON (Salmo salar) Naturally reproducing wild salmon are on the verge of extinction, primarily because 90% of the total salmon catch is carried out in open-sea feeding grounds before the salmon reach optimum size, and not as they are returning upriver to spawn. In addition, because of dam construction and water pollution, many rivers are closed or unsuitable for salmon spawning. The overwhelming majority of fish in the smolt run are hatchery-reared, mixing with the few remaining wild salmon. Artificially hatched fish have solved some of the population problems, but the possibility of genetic degradation is very real. This could lead to mass mortalities caused by natural diseases and other factors. POLLUTION The Baltic Sea is, unfortunately, known as the most polluted sea in the world. During the last 25 years, a number of environmental alarm bells have sounded related to chlorinated compounds. The first animals to be harmed were top predators like the white-tailed eagle, otters, and seals, and later on fish were also found to be among those affected. One such effect, a disease called M 74, is believed to be caused by persistent organic pollutants. It has caused an abnormally high mortality rate among yolk-sac fry of Baltic salmon originating from feral females that have been artificially fertilized with milt from feral males.The syndrome has caused a mortality rate approaching 96% in hatcheries and the result may be that only a relatively low number of naturally spawned eggs develop normally. Baltic scientists and Greenpeace are very concerned about this disease, and we find it alarming that the IBSFC has not taken any action or even informed salmon experts about the problem. WASTEFUL INDUSTRY Industrial fisheries in the Baltic are targeting herring and sprat, and some years there are huge by-catches of undersized cod. These fish are used wastefully to produce fish-meal and fish-oil, which in turn are used in the production of such items as animal feed, farmed-salmon feed, paint, candles, and shoe polish. RUSSIAN ASPECT Politicians and authorities are responsible for ensuring that marine living resources are not overexploited and are used in a sustainable fashion. However, at the moment the Russian fishing industry is organized in such a way that it threatens the well being of marine resources and infringes upon the interests of the majority of the Russian population. The Committee for Fisheries is the main organization in the Russian fishing industry. It is responsible for allocation of fishing quotas, and has united under its direction two very important functions: the scientific confirmation of objects to be caught on the one hand, and on the other the granting of permission to fish and to build and purchase fishing vessels, as well as control of fishing activities. Furthermore, the Committee for Fisheries has the right to retain 90% of all hard currency export profits. It is clear that such a closed and self-serving system that dictates its own limits, scientifically supports these limits, and all-together controls itself cannot guarantee the protection of resources. This is especially true if the system is interested in increasing the catch of fish for sale abroad. Here are some examples of how this system works in the Baltic Sea: * this year, the Committee for Fisheries issued itself a quota to take 3000 tons of federal marine resources from the Baltic; * last year, the Committee granted 5000 tons of cod to the joint venture InterAtlantic, which the Committee itself helped found; * almost all fish caught in the Baltic Russian Economic Zone are exported by the joint venture InterAtlantic; * the inspecting organ of the Committee for Fisheries, ZAPBALTRYBVOD, sold its last patrol boat in 1991, thus leaving fisheries in the Russian Economic Zone without any control. As a result: * the majority of the Fishing Collective Farms Union's quotas are stolen; * fish do not end up on the Russian market; * marine resources are faced with continued and increased degradation. GREENPEACE DEMANDS: * that all fishing for wild salmon is stopped in the Baltic Sea and the adjacent coastal areas and rivers; * that trawling is stopped and, after cod stocks are rehabilitated, investment is put into more ecologically sound fishing practices; * that the IBSFC starts working toward the goals set 20 years ago: responsibility for the conservation of living resources and their sustainable exploitation; * that the production of organochlorines be stopped; * that the functions of scientific determination of fishing quotas and control over the use of marine resources be transfered to the authority of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, which is the only independent organization that can guarantee the protection and availability of marine resources for Russian citizens. Greenpeace Russia, address.... ---------- = 110738 May 93 TASS - 022 5 0132" Town - Ban Severodvinsk Becomes Closed Town Again Arkhangelsk, May 11 By Vladimir Anufriev, correspondent of ITAR-TASS The White Sea town of Severodvinsk where Russian Center for Atomic Ship-building is situated, becomes a closed town again. The Council of Arkhangelsk area has approved transformation of the town into a "closed administrative-territorial unit" under the condition of granting a number of privileges including "transparency of the borders" to residents of the area. In the early 70s, in Severodvinsk there was introduced a check- point system. During the years of perestroika this system just disappeared, though it was not disaffirmed officially. The idea of separation from the rest of the world is supported not only by local authorities and military shipyard Board who feel safe this way, but also by the majority of citizens.