Wild salmon in Venta river , Latvia– a weak stock that need better management

CCB • July 25, 2013

2/3 of all Baltic salmon river populations are threatened. Venta river is one of the 10 wild salmon rivers in Latvia. It is a weak salmon population that need much better management to become stronger, but effective actions are missing so far. A strong Venta salmon population can become an important natural resource for recreational fisheries and tourism, and for the local economy in the future.

We need financial resources to be allocated:

– To restore overgrown spawning and breeding areas for Venta salmon, to give better possibilities for reproduction. To insure a better monitoring to follow the salmonid populations in Venta river

– To support more salmonids to pass the waterfall in Kuldiga. An old channel located east of the waterfall could be restored. It would give to the salmoids an easiest fishway going upstream without touching anything of the beauty of the natural waterfall. Investing in such restoration would rise up the number of jumping salmons and sea-trouts in Venta river. In a close future, it would give Kuldiga region the opportunity to attract many tourists and recreational fishermen to the region, and give considerable income from accomodation and for local businesses. Local and regional decision-makers should support such development politically and financially.

No other Baltic Sea Region country has so many wild salmon rivers as Latvia, giving Latvia a special responsibility to guarantee safeguarding of Baltic salmon. Latvia should take its responsibility to implement measures for “active protection of threatened salmon populations”, signed in 2007 within the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.

As we speak, the people working with salmon in Latvia is doing a good job. But there is very few people in Latvia working on salmon management, and the financial resources is peanuts compared to the great values Latvia has with so many threatened wild salmon rivers, e.g in Saka river, Barta river.

But is Latvian institutions willing to provide the resources needed for the active protection of Venta river salmon? And the other salmon rivers?

NGOs to EU decision makers: Commit to a Genuine Baltic Sea Recovery Plan

By CCB • May 28, 2025
Key Baltic fish populations are in crisis, warn environmental NGOs. New scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, confirms the poor condition of key Baltic fish populations, several of which remain collapsed (1). EU fisheries ministers must set 2026-catch limits well below ICES advice and prioritise long-term recovery over short-term economic gains.

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.