CCB Annual Conference Baltic 2011 on Sustainable Coastal Development & CCB Extra Ordinary General Meeting, 6-8 May 2011, in Jurmala, Latvia

CCB • May 6, 2011

The CCB Annual Conference Baltic 2011 and CCB Extra Ordinary General Meeting was held in Jurmala, Latvia, between 6-8 May.

We now have the pleasure to invite you to Latvia for the CCB Baltic 2011 Conference and Extra Ordinary General Meeting!

This year the CCB Baltic Conference is organised together with Keep Latvia Tidy and Latvian Green Movement, in Jurmala, Latvia. The programme starts on Friday evening with registration and social event from 18.00 onwards and ends on Sunday afternoon with an excursion. An Extra Ordinary General Meeting will be held on Sunday morning.

On Friday there will be a separate conference on “Threats and Opportunities for Developing Tourism and Nature Protection” organised by Keep Latvia Tidy. Please note that this conference is not part of the CCB Baltic 2011 Conference. If you have a wide interest to participate, please contact Janis Matulis to find out more.

Sustainable Coastal Development in the Baltic Sea Region

is the theme for this year’s Conference. During the conference we will discuss different aspects of sustainable coastal development. The draft programme can be found below.

Extra Ordinary General Meeting

A CCB Extra Ordinary General Meeting will be held on Sunday morning due to the need for election of substituted ordinary and alternate Board members for some countries, from the 2-year election period 2010-2012.

Working Group Discussions on CCB Priority Areas

On Sunday before lunch there will be Working Groups about CCB priority sub-areas. The outcome of the discussions will be the base for the CCB Work programme 2012.

Poster Presentations

All participants are welcome to present their work connected to the theme of the Conference on a poster. Also posters presenting other implemented activities connected to CCB Priority Areas are welcome. If you plan to bring posters, please send in requests for exhibition space to the CCB Secretariat.

Language

The working language of the Conference will be English.

 Excursions

On Sunday afternoon there will be an excursion organised in cooperation with Environmental Protection Club of Latvia (VAK) . More information will follow.

 Conference Venue

The Conference will be held at “Baltic Beach Hotel” in Jurmala

(www.balticbeach.lv/en). Accommodation and meals are provided at the same location. Jurmala is situated on the Baltic coast 25 km west of Riga.

Expenses

No admittance fee is charged for the conference. However if you cancel less than ten days in advance you have to pay your own costs for meals and accommodation (approx 100 LVL) if no alternate is arranged.

For participants from CCB member organisations and associated partners, CCB will cover the costs for accommodation and meals.

 Travel Costs and Reimbursement

We urge member organisations to cover the travel expenses for their participants.

Participants from Ukraine and Belarus : The travel expenses will be covered from Sida-funding. Reimbursement will only be paid for the most non-expensive and convenient way of travelling.

Participants from Russia : There will be funding available for a limited number of participants from Russia .

Beyond that, there are very limited funds for reimbursement of travel costs for participants from Latvia , Lithuania , Estonia and Poland.

All reimbursement claims from all countries must be confirmed by the CCB secretariat!

No travel reimbursements will be made without confirmation given in advance! The travel costs will be reimbursed after the conference when you submit to the CCB secretariat a reimbursement form and all your original receipts of your travels.

Please note that you have to state your requested total amount for travel reimbursement ( SEK /EURO), local transport and potential Visa cost included, in the application form. To keep the budget-line for the Baltic 2011 conference, CCB can only guarantee that you will get the amount that you have stated in the application form.

When booking your travels please be aware of the CCB environmental travel policy that states that all journeys shorter than 400 km must be undertaken by bus or train. Air travel can only be considered if the distance is longer than 400km.

 Application

Fill in the registration form and send it by fax or e-mail to Sara Nilsson at the CCB International Secretariat (secretariat@ccb.se).Latest date: 12th of April There will be no reimbursements granted after the last day of registration (due to administrative constraints) so for those of you that want to apply for reimbursement it is essential to meet the deadline. Indicate in the form if you apply for reimbursement or not.

Please note that we only have room for a limited number of participants. We will confirm to all applicants on their possible participation in the Conference, so do not book your ticket before you have your participation confirmed by the CCB International Secretariat!

 Visa Application

For those of you who need Visa please contact Janis Matulis. Please send your passport data and home address as soon as possible, so that an invitation can be sent to you for Visa application. Usually, you will be best off with a “Schengen Visa”, which will normally take up to a month to be granted.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the CCB secretariat or Janis Matulis!

CONTACT INFORMATION
CCB Secretariat        E-mail: secretariat@ccb.se
Östra Agatan 53       Phone: +46 18 711 155
SE-753 22 UPPSALA     Fax: +46 18 711 175
SWEDEN

Janis Matulis
E-mail:janis.matulis@keeplatviatidy.lv
Phone: +371 2653 8871
Fax: +371 6322 3273
We wish you a warm welcome to Latvia! 
Keep Latvia Tidy, Latvian Green Movement and Coalition Clean Baltic

Presentations & related documents upon request.

Conference on “Threats and Opportunities for Developing Tourism and Nature Protection” organised by Keep Latvia Tidy on 6 May
Invitatation & agenda upon request.

EU Commission upholds Fisheries Law: Finland's 2025 Atlantic Salmon quota reduced after unjustified overfishing in 2024

By CCB • May 7, 2025
7 May 2025 - Yesterday the European Commission took a strong decision to deduct Finland´s 2025 Atlantic Salmon quota due to unjustified overfishing last year. This action is a clear application of the EU fisheries rules - aiming to ensure sustainable fishing practices and compliance with established quotas - and an important precedent for the consistent enforcement of fisheries law. In 2024, Finland was allocated a strict by-catch quota for Atlantic salmon, with direct fishing prohibited, except for some specific, minor exceptions. Despite this, Finland reported catching 3,162 salmon in a targeted fishery, under a claimed derogation stating the fishery was for scientific research purposes. Upon review, the European Commission concluded that these activities did not meet the legal standards for such an exemption and therefore found this claim unjustified. The number of vessels participating, 32, the number of salmon caught as well as the fact that Finland refused to re-release the salmon after conducting the “scientific research” are all reasons why the fishery cannot be considered to have been carried out for scientific research purposes. As a result, the same number of salmon caught beyond the legal limit in 2024 is now being deducted from Finland’s 2025 quota, from the same stock. “ We welcome the Commission's decision to take enforcement action and apply the law as intended. It sends a clear message to Member States that exceeding quotas will have consequences. However, more consistent enforcement is urgently needed across EU waters, especially in the Baltic Sea, where many fish stocks are collapsing and the ecosystem is in a poor state ” said Aimi Hamberg, CCB Marine Policy Officer. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland has already responded to the Commission´s quota reduction for Atlantic salmon by stating that this decision “is not legally justified” and they will consider taking legal action against it. As this matter continues to evolve, it is highlighting the importance of collective responsibility in managing fish stocks sustainably. Species like salmon, herring and cod , are under increasing pressure due to overfishing, climate change and habitat loss. In this context, rule enforcement is not just a bureaucratic step but a necessary action to ensure the long-term sustainability of marine life in the Baltic Sea.

CCB is looking for a Network Officer to join our team at the CCB International Secretariat

By CCB • April 9, 2025
Coalition Clean Baltic – CCB is a politically independent network, uniting 27 environmental non-profit organizations, as well as partners and experts from 11 countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. The main goal of CCB is to promote the protection and improvement of the environment and natural resources of the Baltic Sea region by encouraging new and constructive approaches and engaging people to become part of the solution instead of part of the problem. CCB Secretariat is based in Uppsala, Sweden.