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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