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MANAGED BY NATURE, MARKETS AND THE EU The general guidelines for fishery in Finland are created under the management of the general fisheries policy of the European Union. Fishery and agriculture are the most regulated sectors in the EU. The common fisheries policy includes systematic action plans covering a sequence of several years; these again are divided into more detailed agendas. The Union legislation regulates the fishing rights of the Finnish commercial fishery, the size of our fishing fleet and the conditions of getting investment aid and subsidies for development projects. The Union membership resulted, and still does, in many unsolved problems for our fishery, but it has also had some positive effects, such as improved possibilities of getting investment aid. The common fisheries policy is applied by national management to match Finland’s objectives. The salmon fishery, for example, is restricted by the EU quotas, but the national management determines when and where it can be fished. The influence of the EU is mostly limited to the sea regions. The inland fishery concentrate on non-quota species. This does not, however, prevent granting various structural aid to projects in the lake regions as well. Decisions concerning the fish resources in the entire Baltic area are made by The International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission where long-term strategies are prepared, and the size and division of fishing quotas for different species are determined on the basis of expert opinion. Finland is one of the EU members who get their share of the common Union quotas. Among the quota species are Baltic herring, sprat, salmon and cod. The quotas are determined for one year at a time on the basis of jointly agreed rules, and they are monitored almost in real time. Every fisherman or vessel is obliged to report the catches of the quota species, immediately after unloading, to the regional EE- Centre who report further to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. If the quotas are exhausted before the end of a calendar year, the fishing is stopped and started again when new quotas are opened at the beginning of the next year. Fishery is managed and regulated in accordance with various agendas, by directing structural financing to the sectors which are considered important in regard to the fish resources and market. An example of this is the substantial reduction of the Finnish salmon fishing fleet capacity, carried out through scrapping by aid. Inconsistently, a central theme for the first action plan sequence of the new millennium is the developing and supporting of small-scale coastal fisheries. A PROFESSIONAL TOUCH SThe systematic operation and specialisation required by the management of fish resources have put the professional fishermen in a new situation. The market is the basis for operation and its ability to function has become increasingly important. Fishery, unlike agriculture, does not have access to the direct income subsidies. The only possibility for the fishermen to improve their profits is to meet the wishes and needs of the consumers. This requires a smooth co-operation between the commercial fishery, the processing industry and the trade. It is the responsibility of the professional fisherman to use the best suited fishing methods and appropriate gear. The fisherman has the key to the quality of the fish, and the fish supplied by a professional fisherman are of guaranteed quality. Today’s professional fisherman runs a private enterprise with a distinct business idea and a mode of operation. In order to succeed the fisherman should make the most of his individual strengths. Some specialise in fishing only, some go on to process their catch themselves, and some arrange fishing trips for the tourists. No one solution or mode of operation can be applied by every fisherman, due to the different preconditions, such as fishing grounds, gear and personal characteristics. Along with the skilful and able fishermen the most valuable assets of the commercial fishery are the pure fish resources. In almost all our waters, from the smallest lake to the boundless Baltic, fish can be caught without threatening the future of the stocks. Fishing can even help improve the state of the environment by removing nutrients from the water; this is the case when herring are fished in the sea regions, and vendace as well as cyprinoid fish especially are fished from the inland waters. The correct use of selective gear together with new technology do not stress the spawning year classes, and the catch can be utilised more economically and higher in quality. In the future a number
of fundamental issues have to be dealt with. The quality of domestic
fish has been brought to a high level, but the competition with
imported fish is hard, too. It remains to be seen how well the
future changes in the fish resources and the market can be predicted
in the EU agendas, and whether the professional fishermen are
able to outlive the transition period, which has already started
for the salmon fishery, and will soon hit the herring trawling.
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 Quotas, Allowed annual catches of herring, sprat, salmon and cod |
