The best news for Latvia is the increase in fishing opportunities for herring in the Gulf of Riga – by 21% (in 2022).

 

Meanwhile, the most difficult decisions this time were again related to the cod stocks, which are in a very critical state. As previously reported, due to the critical state of the eastern Baltic cod population, specialised fishing for cod in these waters has not been permitted since 2020. Next year, the same fate awaits western Baltic cod, as its condition has deteriorated sharply. However, this is not a highly significant stock for Latvia. In both cases, cod may only be retained in the catch if it is accidentally caught during the trawling of other species – herring, sprat, flounder – or as an unavoidable by-catch in coastal fishing.