We call on everyone who wants to preserve public access to the sea, and to preserve one of Latvia's national treasures – coastal fishing – to send letters to the Nature Conservation Agency at pasts@daba.gov.lv by 18 December, demanding the following:
I (name of the writer) am opposed to the forthcoming nature management plan for marine protected areas imposing any restrictions whatsoever on coastal fishing, or on recreation on the water using vessels, including engine-powered and wind-driven craft.
Why? Because the Nature Conservation Agency, working with the Institute of Hydroecology and the BIOR institute, wants to impose a seasonal ban along a large part of the coast from 15 March to 31 August, prohibiting all activity there, including coastal fishing, sailing, wakeboarding and similar activities on the water. The reason? At that time of year there are apparently a great many birds along the coast that are nesting, brooding and moulting – doing, so to speak, what birds usually do. And how exactly do fishermen, sailors and kitesurfers harm them? There is no clear answer. It has not been studied. But the birds must be protected, because climate change is said to be increasing their numbers here and they must not be disturbed.
Strict no-go zones are planned for much of the Vidzeme coast, at Lapmežciems and Ragaciems, and along the Dienvidkurzeme coast as well, on the grounds that algae grow there. Nothing at all will be allowed in those areas – only fishing for round goby with selective gear. These people have no idea that coastal fishermen fish only with passive, selective gear; they think the only such gear is the specialised round goby fyke net...