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8. ALLOW FISHERMEN-ENTREPRENEURS TO FISH IN INLAND WATERS


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 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

Such letters will be sent to the Presidents visiting Lithuania, the Speakers of Parliament, the Prime Ministers, the Ministers of Agriculture and the Environment, the media and to those countries the leaders of Lithuania will attend, because the WORLD SHOULD KNOW THAT LITHUANIA IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHERE COMMERCIAL FISHING IS PROHIBITED.

ALLOW FISHERMEN-ENTREPRENEURS TO FISH IN INLAND WATERS
(Project XIIIP-1205 of Law on Fisheries of the Republic of Lithuania)
Vilnius, 01/04/2019

With its 2.8 million citizens, Lithuania occupies 65.3 thousand sq. km. There are about 3000 lakes in Lithuania, about 1500 ponds and about 29 thousand rivers, streams and canals and the Curonian Lagoon.
The Law on Fisheries of the Republic of Lithuania states that commercial fishing is permitted on the basis of data from fisheries surveys in inland water bodies that are larger than 200 ha. There are 99 such national water bodies.
We are talking and asking only about setting limits for catching Rutilus rutilus, Perca fluviatilis, Carassius carassius, Esoxlucius, Abramis brama, Tinca Tinca, Scardinius erythroph thalmus, Sander lucioperca, Blicca bjoerkna and other low-value fish.
It is FORBIDDEN for entrepreneurs to catch the above mentioned fish in Kaunas Lagoon from 01/01/2013, and in state lakes and ponds larger than 200 ha from 01/01/2014, except for the Curonian Lagoon.
On 12/10/2017 Members of the Seimas K. Mažeika, M. Majauskas, V. Vingrienė and A. Gaidžiūnas have registered Amendments No. XIIIXP - 1205 to the Law on Fisheries proposing to prohibit commercial fishing in state water bodies larger than 200 ha except for the Curonian Lagoon. FOR THAT PURPOSE, CONCLUSIONS WERE REQUESTED FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
EVEN 10 YEARS AGO, the leaders of responsible authorities, politicians, their collaborators and fishermen amateurs have taken the INITIATIVE TO PROHIBIT INLAND COMMERCIAL FISHERY by misleading that business fishermen have exhausted water bodies, set up water bodies with nets, poach, and prevent fishermen amateurs from catching fish.
Since then, more than 100 letters have been written to Lithuanian leaders, members of the Seimas, politicians and the most responsible institutions about the stigmatization of businessmen and the disruption of their business by ESTABLISHING:
1. WE NOTE that no information has so far been provided on the quantity, personalities and damage of poaching fishermen.
2. WE NOTE that about 90 percent of the fish are caught in the Curonian Lagoon with an area of 22 percent of all inland water bodies and only 10 % of fish are caught in the remaining water bodies. Fish resources from many other waters are good and entrepreneurs would be able to catch fish.
3. WE NOTE that, according to researches of scientists, about 870 tons of commercial fish are in 68 water bodies larger than 200 ha. It is estimated that there are about 1200 tons in 98 water bodies.
4. WE NOTE that the Ministry of Environment allocated limits for entrepreneurs to fish in about 20 lakes, ponds and Kaunas Lagoon until 01/01/2013.
5. WE NOTE that 1 fisherman creates additional 3-5 workplaces on shore.
6. WE NOTE that the authorities of Poland, Russia and Belarus allow their fishermen to fish in the lakes located on the borders of the states, and the Lithuanian authorities PROHIBIT.
7. WE NOTE that local activity groups of European Union-funded Fisheries Area are established in the eight most aquatic regions, where water bodies are rich Rutilus rutilus, Perca fluviatilis, Carassius carassius, Esoxlucius, Abramis brama, Tinca Tinca, Scardinius erythroph thalmus, Sander lucioperca, Blicca bjoerkna and other low-value fish - BUT ENTREPRENEURS ARE PROHIBITED TO CATCH THE MENTIONED FISH.
8. WE NOTE that the Advisory Council on Fisheries established by the Ministries of Agriculture and the Environment did not agree with the prohibitions on commercial fishing.
9. WE NOTE that on April 7, 2017, Minister of Environment K. Navickas provided information that total fish biomass has increased by 1.5 times in 384 lakes and ponds investigated during 2011-2016, and the average fish weight increased by 1.3 - 1.4 times.
10. WE NOTE that ALL THE WORLD including NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES PROPOGATE and promote inland water fishery and sale of fresh fish. GOVERNMENT OF LITHUANIA obstructs small fishery business.
11. WE NOTE that such total stigmatization of fishermen by politicians, IT APPEARS, IS FOR THE REASON THAT THEY NEED VOTES OF FISHERMEN AMATEURS IN ELECTIONS.
12. WE NOTE that on 12/09/2017, Minister of Environment K. Navickas wrote to the Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Chairman of the Rural Affairs Committee: “Mostly, ... the limit of catches of other fish (not vendace) in lakes was used only about 20 percent (underlined by us). On 25/10/2017 Vice-Minister of the Environment R. Brandišauskienė presented similar information to the Office of the President, and on 16/12/2018, Vice-Minister of the Environment M. Norbutas to the Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and to the Law and Law Enforcement Committee of the Seimas”. The letters from the leaders of the Ministry of Environment explain that only about 20 % of fish limit were caught. That means that 80 % of fish remained in water bodies.
13. WE NOTE that on June 6, 2018, we asked the Minister of Agriculture to invite business fishermen, scientists and specialists for discussion, and to listen to proposals on the economic benefits of commercial fishing. G. Surplys DID NOT FIND THE MEANING TO MEET. WE ALSO NOTE that representatives of fishermen were accepted in the President’s Office.
14. WE NOTE that there have been provided many reasoned interpretations about the illegal bans on commercial fishing, the creation of new workplaces, the rising unemployment and the growing social exclusion, as a result of the meetings and international conferences that have taken place many times.
15. WE NOTE that, as Lithuanian supreme institutions and politicians have not completely reacted to the problems we have raised, we have repeatedly appealed to the European and global institutions. WITH A LETTER, “SABOTAGE of the Lithuanian politicians and the government against business fishermen” of May 11, 2018 we applied to the leaders of the numerous countries of the world.
16. WE NOTE that it is clear that the larger and more prominent is a group of people disseminating information in the pursuit of their goals – this works. THEREFORE, WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT a large part of politicians, government officials and their collaborates, fishermen amateurs caused unprecedented psychosis through newspapers, radio, television, the Internet and communicating in many ways in systematic variety of forms for 10 years already. THEY LIE to explain that fishermen entrepreneurs have exhausted water bodies, set up nets around water bodies, poach and hinder fishermen amateurs from fishing.
17. WE NOTE that representatives of the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture that meet at the Ministry of Agriculture on 1 March 2019, WITHOUT INVITING business fishermen and amateurs, scientists, specialists and social partners, AGREED on prohibiting commercial fishing in state inland water bodies larger than 200 ha, except for Curonian Lagoon.
PURSUANT TO the material referred to in items 1-17 above WE STATE
- that, the initiators of the amendments to the Law on Fisheries and their supporters are disseminating false, misleading and stigmatising information about business fishermen,
- that, there is no legal explanation of the draft law and it is economically unreasonable,
- there is no reference to the benefits that business fishermen can provide when the European Union makes major efforts and invests in development of fisheries,
- that, without specifying who will cover the losses and damage suffered by business fishermen, when legitimate expectations of the fishermen are violated, when LIVES of a small group are DISRUPTED ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY, WHEN EFFORTS ARE MADE to impoverish business fishermen and processors of their production,
- when the activity of fishermen-amateurs is promoted by allocating a part of Lithuanian budget allocations -
THE PROJECT OF THE LAW is unfounded, impoverishing people, amoral, anti-constitutional that makes people feel unsatisfied with the defended and hard-won independence, constitutes a conflict of interests between some politicians and state officers.
On 27/03/2019, Vice-Minister of the Environment, M. Norbutas, explained at the meeting of the Government on the importance of the amendments, proposed to ban commercial fishing in state water bodies over 200 ha except for the Curonian Lagoon.
I started the speech with the Internet news: “REFORMS OF THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT TO IMPROVE LIFE OF ALL LITHUANIAN PEOPLE.” Knowing in advance that this amendment to the Law is APPLICABLE to a small group that do not allow to fish for the fishermen from 2014, I tried to explain to some members of the Government some of the arguments in the above 17 clauses. I said straight away that the Vice-Minister is lying because the fishery resources are enough, but the government does not allow fishing. The Minister of Agriculture has explained that entrepreneurs will be able to catch fish when they are engaged in specialized fishing. I have explained that there is no need to deceive the people and that fishery resources are enough and that they need to allow fishing under the Law on Fisheries. At a government meeting, I explained that the authorities applied to the governments of the world and goodwill people for support when Lithuania was occupied and attacked. The Union of Associations “Žuvininkų rūmai” has repeatedly applied to the responsible European institutions and Heads of Government. The government clerk came to and asked me to leave the hall. I did not leave the meeting room because I told the truth at the meeting, because we escaped from exile to Siberia with my parents for 2 times, I have education in economics, I worked in production for over 50 years, actively participated in the restoration and defending of Independence, I actively participate in public life, I am the chairman of Sąjūdis Council in Vilnius, President of the Union of Associations “Žuvininkų rūmai”, I am honored and awarded by the state, and I still have many responsibilities.
SUCH A SECRET PREPARATION FOR THE GOVERNMENT MEETING AND TOTAL NON-INTEREST OF MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT IN THE MEETING PROCEDURES FOR THE LEGAL SUSPENSION OF ONE OF THE OLDEST CRAFTS – THE FISHING – RAISED ME GREAT CONCERNS.
After the meeting, I was sure that THE LIVING OF THE BUSINESS FISHERMEN WILL NOT IMPROVE.
I CAME UP WITH CONCLUSION that professionalism of members of the government is measured by motivating to carry out political doctrine to get more votes from fishermen-amateurs.
They would probably forbid for the holy apostles Andrew, Peter, Zen, Magnus to fish with nets and feed the hungry crowd.
Even the weak-minded one should understand that it is impossible for entrepreneurs to exhaust about 30 thousands of water bodies fishing in 20 water bodies and catching 20 % of the fish. But Lithuanian politicians and leaders do not care about that.
Probably people with addictive diseases could vote for such a project of law.
I often think if slaves imprisoned would vote for such stigmatization and destruction of business fishermen - they would probably rise up.
Dear leaders of Lithuania, Members of the Seimas and the Government, please think what is the source of anger, hatred, violations of human rights and law, cynicism, and grudge to legally destroy the oldest business of Lithuanian people when we have so many fish in Lithuanian waters.
Such letters will be sent to the Presidents visiting Lithuania, the Speakers of Parliament, the Prime Ministers, the Ministers of Agriculture and the Environment, the media and to those countries the leaders of Lithuania will attend, because the WORLD SHOULD KNOW THAT LITHUANIA IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHERE COMMERCIAL FISHING IS PROHIBITED because this is a policy of leading and human stigmatization by the Lithuanian leaders and politicians, as several dozen more votes can be obtained from amateurs than the entrepreneurs in the elections.
PLEASE REJECT the project no. XIIIP-1205 of Law on Fisheries.
PLEASE DETERMINE LIMITATIONS for 2019 for fishing Rutilus rutilus, Perca fluviatilis, Carassius carassius, Esoxlucius, Abramis brama, Tinca Tinca, Scardinius erythroph thalmus, Sander lucioperca, Blicca bjoerkna in state lakes, Kaunas Lagoon and ponds.
THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH SPACE UNDER THE SUN FOR FISHERMEN- AMATEURS AND BUSINESS FISHERMEN.
Please find attached DECLARATION TO YOU “SABOTAGE of Lithuanian politicians and government against fishermen entrepreneurs” of 11 December 2018.

President of “Žuvininkų rūmai” The Alliance of Associations L. Kerosierius

Address for communication: L. Kerosierius Iki pareikalavimo, Central post, Vilnius, Lithuania
e-mail leonaslabora@gmail.com