7. Letter for
Presidents
ASOCIACIJŲ SĄJUNGA „ŽUVININKŲ RŪMAI“
„ŽUVININKŲ RŪMAI“ THE ALLIANCE OF ASSOCIATIONS
L. Kerosieriui Iki pareikalavimo, Centrinis paštas, Vilnius, tel. 8674
38465, e. p. leonaslabora@gmail.com
To:
Mr Donald Trump of the President of the USA
Mr Xi Jinping of the President of the People Republic of China
Ms To Theresa May of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland Mr
Mr Emmanuel Macron of the President of France
Mr Jean-Claude Juncker President of the European Commission
Ms Kersti Kaljulaid President of the Republic of Estonia
Mr Raimond Vėjuon President of the Respublic of Latvia
Mr Andržej Duda President of the Respublic of Poland
Mr Stefan Lofven Prime Minister of the Sweden
Ms Angela Merkel Cancler of Germany
To the European Commissioner of Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Karmen Vella
Members of the European Parliament
To:
Ms Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr Saulius Skvernelis, Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr Giedrius Surplys, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr Andriejus Stančikas, Chairman of the Committee on Rural Affairs of the
Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr Kęstutis Mažeika, Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Protection
of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr Rimantas Sinkevičius, Chairman of the Committee on Economics of the
Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
Mr Linas Kukuraitis, Minister of social Secųrity and Labour of the Republic
of Lithuania
Ms Inga Ruginienė, President of Lithuanian Trade union confegeration
Members of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
The Media
A P P E A L
SAGOTAGE of Lithuanian politicians and government officials against
commercial fishermen
REGARDING COMMERCIAL FISHING IN PUBLICLY-OWNED LAKES AND PONDS (Regarding
the fixing of limits for fishing of Rutilus rutilus, Perca fluviatilis,
Carassius carassius, Esoxlucius, Abramis brama, Tinca Tinca, Scardinius
erythroph thalmus, Sander lucioperca, Blicco bjoerkna in publicly-owned
lakes and ponds)
(Draft of the Law on Fisheries of the Republic of Lithuania Nr. XIIIP-1205)
Vilnius, 11.12.2018
Your Excellencies Heads of State and responsible authorities. We appealed to
some of you with the letter ‘ON BANS ON COMMERCIAL FISHING’ on 15.11.2017.
The commercial fishing situation has not changed and is just getting graver.
On 25.09.2017, we wrote about these issues to parties and responsible
authorities.
With its 2.8 million citizens, Lithuania occupies 65.3 thousand sq. km. It
has 2621 sq. km of inland waters, including around 3000 lakes, around 1500
ponds, approximately 29,000 rivers, streams, and channels, and the Curonian
Lagoon. The lakes cover 47 percent (1232 sq. km), the Curonian Lagoon – 22
percent (576 sq. km), the rivers – 18 percent (472 sq. km), the ponds – 13
percent (341 sq. km).
IT IS ESTIMATED that due to inadequate governance policy, corruption,
humiliation of people and cruel exploitation, own motivations of the parties
and people in power, around 1 million people have fled Lithuania since the
declaration of Independence. Those governing Lithuania have been supplying
CHEAP labour force to the countries of the world.
In 2014–2020, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund is supporting
sustainable territorial development of fisheries as it seeks to ensure that
the majority of communities of coasts and inland waters are engaged in
fisheries and aquaculture, GENERATING A GREATER VALUE OF FISHING AND
FISHING-RELATED ACTIVITY. For that purpose, the European Union has allocated
12.2 million euros for the years 2014–2020.
On 6-7.12.2018, an international conference ‘Community-led Local Development
in Fisheries Areas: Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation’ took
place in Vilnius.
During the two-day conference, representatives of communities were raising
awareness about developed strategies and their implementation.
WE DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT that not a single project was submitted
with regard to catching of fish as the Environment Ministers have PROHIBITED
businessmen to fish Rutilus rutilus, Perca fluviatilis, Carassius carassius,
Esoxlucius, Abramis brama, Tinca Tinca, Scardinius erythroph thalmus, Sander
lucioperca or Blicca bjoerkna in state-owned lakes and ponds since
01.01.2015. The Law on Fisheries of the Republic of Lithuania provides for
fishing of aforementioned fish in state-owned lakes and ponds larger than
200 ha. There are 99 such water bodies in Lithuania.
25–30 years ago, about 500 tons of said fish would be caught in lakes and
ponds a year. In 2012, 92.4 tons of said fish were caught in 13 water bodies
according to the assigned limits, in 2013 – 29.6 tons in 10 water bodies, in
2014 – 22.9 tons in 10 water bodies. The GOVERNMENT has not fixed any limits
since 01.01.2015.
The ban on small fisheries in state-owned lakes and ponds began 10 years
ago.
WE NOTE that on 12.10.2017, the new Chairman of the Committee on
Environmental Protection Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of
Lithuania, together with Members of the Seimas M. Majauskas, V. Vingrienė,
and A. Gaidžiūnas, registered and IMMEDIATELY started publishing amendments
to the Law on Fisheries of the Republic of Lithuania, proposing a ban of
commercial fishing in all water bodies, excluding the Curonian Lagoon.
Minister of Environment K. Navickas and Chairman of the Committee on
Environmental Protection of the Seimas K. Mažeika, together with their
family members and proxies, using distorted and false facts as well as
various fabrications, ARE LYING TO THE ENTIRE LITHUANIA claiming that
commercial fishermen have exhausted water bodies, that they are poachers and
hindrance to amateur fishermen.
IT IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION how 20 businessmen, fishing in 20 water bodies,
could exhaust 33 thousand Lithuanian water bodies. ONE SHOULD BE OUTRAGED BY
THE FACT that K. Mažeika killed a person with his car at a pedestrian
crossing on 31.10.2015. THERE IS A MURDERER PLAGUING OUR LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
– he has no morals or conscience and is threatening to turn numerous people
into skints. He is doing his best to ensure that only the 300 thousand
amateur fishermen can fish in lakes and ponds. He does not care that
everybody pays taxes and people are entitled to be able to purchase from
businessmen fish caught in lakes and ponds.
The state invests around 8 million euros into management of water bodies,
fish stocking, research, and management every year. Many politicians seek to
restrict the use of water bodies to amateur fishermen, but all people pay
taxes. The state must organise commercial fishing so as to ensure that new
jobs are created and people have the possibility to buy fish from lakes.
Throughout the decade of the eradication of commercial fishing, authorities
and politicians of highest responsibility have been appealed about a hundred
times (we hereby attach the 15.11.2017 appeal).
On 07.04.2017, Minister of Environment K. Navickas provided the information
that in 2011–2016, the total fish biomass in the 384 lakes and ponds
researched increased 1.5 times while the average fish weight increased 1.3
to 1.4 times. The recommended catch limits for the production of the
recommended fish in the 68 researched water bodies exceeding 200 ha, total
area thereof amounting to 41,463 ha, are the following: Perca fluviatilis:
142,627 kg, which constitutes 16.33 percent, Carassius carassius: 7,836 kg
(0.9 percent), Esoxlucius: 23,864 kg (2.73 percent), Tinca Tinca: 33,946
(3.89 percent), Abramis brama: 126,876 (14.53 percent), Sander lucioperca:
9,627 kg (1.1 percent), Rutilus rutilus: 270,390 kg (30.97 percent), Blicco
bjoerkna: 94,419 percent (10.81 percent), Scardinius erythroph thalmus:
13,035 kg (1.49 percent), other fish: 150,570 kg (17.24 percent), total:
873,190 kg. LET’S KEEP IT IN MIND: THERE IS A LOT OF FISH!!!
It is a WELL-KNOWN FACT that the whole world, including our NEIGHBOURING
COUNTRIES, inland water commercial fishing and sale of fresh fish IS
PROPAGATED AND ENCOURAGED. THAT WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF
POLAND, LATVIA, and ESTONIA AT THE CONFERENCE.
According to the investigations carried by the Lithuanian Special
Investigation Service, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania RANKED SECOND
among most corrupted Lithuanian authorities in 2014. Commercial fishing in
state-owned lakes and ponds is to be banned here BY LAW.
WE NOTE THAT in 2018, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania established
that about 1.5 billion EUROS of EUROPEAN FUNDS HAD BEEN USED IN A
NON-TRANSPARENT MANNER.
I draw your attention to the fact that the initiator of the amendments to
the law K. Mažeika wrote to me on 02.12.2018: ‘ ... I will do everything to
make sure that there are no nets in the lakes’. One may get an impression
that murderer K. Mažeika has enormous powers and controls spheres of
influence. He should be prevented from trying to organise violence. The
Commissioner General of the Lithuanian Police K. Mažeika should have a
conversation with him while psychiatrists should investigate his possible
mental disorders. The leader of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens
Union, R. Karbauskis should take a closer take at the actions of K. Mažeika,
former Minister of Environment K. Navickas and politicians and
officials/professionals associated with them related to the ban of
commercial fishing and should discuss it at the party’s presidium.
WE STATE that Vice-Minister of Environment M. Norbutas in his letter to the
Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania No. (12-5)-D8-6007
dated 04.09.2017, Minister of Environment K. Navickas in his letter to the
Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Committee on
Rural Affairs of the Seimas No. (12-5)-D8-6212 dated 12.09.2017,
Vice-Minister of Environment R. Brandišauskienė in her letter to the Office
of the President of the Republic of Lithuania No. (12-5)-D8-7141 dated
25.10.2017, Vice-Minister of Environment M. Norbutas in his letter No.
(12-5)-D8-1029 to the Committee on Legal Affairs of the Seimas of the
Republic of Lithuania dated 15.02.2018 indicated that ‘the established catch
limit for other fish (non-vendace) in lakes would only be used up by about
20 percent…’. PLEASE PAY attention to the fact that only 20 percent of FISH
would get caught, yet the SCANDALISTS mažeikos, navickai, mazuroniai,
jonauskai, graičiūnai, kontautai, and government professionals ARE SCREAMING
TO THE ENTIRE WORLD that commercial fishermen have exhausted the water
bodies. Some professionals SHOULD looked into the 20 percent and get the
point across to all the SCANDALISTS, who, unwilling to delve deeper into the
reality of it all, aided by their accomplices, are constantly slandering
businessmen and treating them with contempt, fanning the flames and
polarising people. The SCANDALIST CHOIR IS CONDUCTED BY K. Mažeika, K.
Navickas, V. Mazuronis, L. Jonauskas, and A. Kontautas.
What a PARADOX – when the world is putting an immense deal of effort to
catch more fish for the consumers, the Lithuanian GOVERNMENT is engaged in
COMPLETE banning of fishing. Not a single one from the banning party has
been PROSECUTED.
Highly esteemed Heads of State and authorities, You are often appealed to by
the Heads of Lithuania, asking for various aid. You always thoroughly
examine the situation and help LITHUANIA. HOWEVER, THE HEADS OF LITHUANIA
AND MEMBERS OF THE SEIMAS ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO RISTRICT SMALL FISHING
BUSINESSES – they are NOT even ALLOWING allocating European Union funds to
fishing communities for commercial fishing.
WE KINDLY ASK YOU FOR YOUR HELP as more and more people become involved in
the strikes, protests, resistance and disobedience campaigns constantly
ongoing in Lithuania.
We need for the GOVERNMENT TO URGENTLY fix limits for businessmen for
catching Rutilus rutilus, Perca fluviatilis, Carassius carassius, Esoxlucius,
Abramis brama, Tinca Tinca, Scardinius erythroph thalmus, Sander lucioperca
and Blicca bjoerkna in state-owned lakes and ponds at the 2002 LEVEL and to
additionally select 10 more lakes and ponds for commercial fishing. A great
deal of attention MUST be paid to lessees of water bodies. The Ministries of
Agriculture and Environment would have to urgently introduce predatory fish
into the Curonian Lagoon.
WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT IF THE INICIATORS OF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE
LAW ON FISHERIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA WITHDREW THE AMENDMENTS TO LAW
No. XIIIP-12005.
We ask the Board of the Seimas and the Government of the Republic of
Lithuania to consider this letter.
THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH SPACE FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESSMEN
UNDER THE SUN.
The letter is to be sent to other countries.
President of ‘Žuvininkų rūmai’ The Alliance of Associations L. Kerosierius
Phone: +370 674 38465, e-mail: leonaslabora@gmail.com
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