Member State report / Art11 / 2020 / D1-M / Latvia / Baltic Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 11 Monitoring programmes (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2020-10-15
GES Descriptor D1 Mammals
Member State Latvia
Region/subregion Baltic Sea
Reported by Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology
Report date 2021-06-09
Report access

Descriptor
D1.2
Monitoring strategy description
1. The monitoring is based on administrative data gathering utilizing bycatch information provided by fisherman. 2. The monitoring program addresses seal population that is inhabiting Latvian waters. As traditional monitoring relies on data obtained during winter when seals are forming colonies either on islands or ice and there are no suitable areas for these colonies in Latvian territory the population estimates relies on data acquired by Estonian side. The data are supplemented by by-catch information obtained in another sub-program.
Coverage of GES criteria
Adequate monitoring is in place by July 2020
Gaps and plans
None
Related targets
  • JVM1
Coverage of targets
Adequate monitoring is in place by July 2020
Related measures
Coverage of measures
Related monitoring programmes
  • LV-4.1.1.1. (D1C1)
  • LV-4.1.1.2.2. (D1C2)
Programme code
LV-4.1.1.1. (D1C1)
LV-4.1.1.2.2. (D1C2)
Programme name
Mobile species mortality/injury rates from fisheries (targeted and/or incidental)
Mobile species distribution, abundance and/or biomass (mammals)
Update type
New programme
New programme
Old programme codes
Programme description
The purpose of the monitoring is to assess the ecological status of the Baltic Sea, including one of the environmental status components biodiversity by observing mortality of mammals (seals and cetaceans) caused by human activities fishery. Animals drowned in fishing gears are accounted. Monitoring is carried out within the framework of the HELCOM monitoring programme, in cooperation with the other Member States. The programme supports the assessment of temporal trends, spatial distribution and state classification. HELCOM monitoring of this programme is partly coordinated. Monitoring programme "Fish, Fisheries and Shellfish"; sub-programme "Fisheries by-catch". The HELCOM core indicator Number of drowned mammals and waterbirds in fishing gears is linked to the sub-programme. Assessment of results is carried out by the expert groups in the ICES Human Activities, Pressures and Impacts Steering Group and ICES WGBYC (Working Group on Bycatch of Protected Species). The requirements for the marine waters of Latvia and the relationship of the specified environmental objectives with the qualitative characteristics characterizing the state of the marine environment are included in Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Republic of Latvia No. 1071 of 23 November 2010, Requirements for the Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, the Determination of Good Environmental State of the Sea and Development of Marine Environmental Goals. By-catch is regulated in the Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 296 Adopted 2 May 2007 Regulations Regarding Commercial Fishing in Territorial Waters and Economic Zone Waters. Corresponding EU regulations: Council Regulation (EC) No 812/2004 of 26.4.2004 laying down measures concerning incidental catches of cetaceans in fisheries.
The purpose of the monitoring is to assess the ecological status of the Baltic Sea, including one of the environmental status components biodiversity by observing abundance and spatial distribution of three seal species native to the Baltic Sea (grey seal, harbour seal and ringed seal) as well as changes in the composition, number of individuals and distribution of seal species occurring in the marine territories of Latvia. Corresponding HELCOM monitoring programme "Mammals" and sub-programme "Seal abundance" with indicators Population trends and abundance of seals and 'Distribution of Baltic seals'. Coordination: partially. Cooperation in HELCOM Expert Group on Marine Mammals (EG MAMA). The requirements for the marine waters of Latvia and the relationship of the specified environmental objectives with the qualitative characteristics characterizing the state of the marine environment are included in Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Republic of Latvia No. 1071 of 23 November 2010, Requirements for the Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, the Determination of Good Environmental State of the Sea and Development of Marine Environmental Goals. Corresponding legislative act of the Republic of Latvia: Law On the Conservation of Species and Biotopes (adopted 16.03.2000).
Monitoring purpose
  • Human activities causing the pressures
  • Environmental state and impacts
Other policies and conventions
  • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention)
  • Data Collection Framework Multi-Annual Plan (Common Fisheries Policy)
  • HELCOM Monitoring programmes
  • Habitats Directive
  • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention)
  • HELCOM Monitoring programmes
  • Habitats Directive
Regional cooperation - coordinating body
  • HELCOM
  • Other
  • HELCOM
Regional cooperation - countries involved
Regional cooperation - implementation level
Agreed data collection methods
Coordinated data collection
Monitoring details
By-catch data are derived from the reports in the form of fishing logbooks and obtained by on-board observers on fishing vessels. For the by-catch of small toothed cetaceans in pelagic trawls in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga the required number of fishing days for which monitoring is carried out is calculated as a percentage of the total number of fishing days of the previous year in the fishing form concerned. Every year, experts of Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR participate as observers in industrial fishing trips for pelagic and benthic trawling to collect biological samples of pelagic and benthic fish and information about by-catches. The vessel on which BIOR expert takes part is selected by drawing lots with the participation of two BIOR experts at random. The planned number of industrial trips with pelagic and bottom trawls is indicated in the data collection programme. For the coastal fishing collecting of information about by-catch is made by fishermen according to the BIOR guidelines and then data are submitted to BIOR. Once in a year data from BIOR are submitted to Ministry of Agriculture of Republic of Latvia. Every year BIOR experts participate as observers in separate coastal industrial fishing trips. For by-catch of seals, an individual survey of fishermen is carried out to assess the size of their by-catches, with a view to identifying by-catches by seasons, used gears and areas. The survey is conducted at least once every three years. Currently no methods have been developed and validated in Latvia for the assessment of by-catches of birds.
Monitoring of the abundance and distribution of seals in Latvian waters has not been carried out since the methodological issues, i.e. monitoring should be carried out during the winter period when seals are in waters under Estonian jurisdiction, makes it impossible to obtain representative data and results. Accordingly, regional cooperation is employed. The complexity of the assessment is determined by the fact that there is no place for seal colonies in Latvian waters and they arrive only for a feeding. Additional data on the dynamics of the number of seals from neighbouring countries can be obtained and an analysis of these data should be carried out in relation to national data, such as seals accidentally caught and weighed by fishermen. Stranded seals are animals which are supposedly by-caught during the fishing and drowned in fishing gears. This information is therefore important for assessment of the trends and amount of by-catches of these animals. Therefore, it is recommended for municipalities of Latvian coastal districts to keep records of seals which have been washed ashore (date of stranding, seal species, as well as a photograph of the stranded seal) and to provide the information collected annually to the Nature Protection Board.
Features
Small toothed cetaceans
Seals
Species affected by incidental by-catch
Seals
Elements
  • Phocoena phocoena
  • Halichoerus grypus
  • Phoca vitulina
  • Pusa hispida
  • Not Applicable
  • Halichoerus grypus
  • Pusa hispida
GES criteria
D1C1
D1C1
D1C1
D1C1
D1C2
Parameters
  • Mortality (weight/volume; number of individuals)
  • Mortality (weight/volume; number of individuals)
  • Mortality (weight/volume; number of individuals)
  • Mortality (weight/volume; number of individuals)
  • Abundance (number of individuals)
Parameter Other
Spatial scope
  • Coastal waters (WFD)
  • EEZ (or similar)
  • Territorial waters
  • Transitional waters (WFD)
  • Coastal waters (WFD)
  • EEZ (or similar)
  • Territorial waters
  • Transitional waters (WFD)
Marine reporting units
  • BAL-LV-AAA-007
  • BAL-LV-AAA-009
  • BAL-LV-AAA-007
  • BAL-LV-AAA-009
Temporal scope (start date - end date)
2021-2026
2021-2026
Monitoring frequency
Yearly
Yearly
Monitoring type
  • Administrative data collection
  • Other
  • Administrative data collection
Monitoring method
  • Other monitoring method
  • HELCOM Guidelines for monitoring seal abundance and distribution in the HELCOM area
Monitoring method other
Currently methods for monitoring of by-catch are still in development and not standardized across the (HELCOM) regione. For fisheries data collection: Latvian National Fisheries and Aquaculture Data Collection Programme (DCF) as well as Manual for the Baltic International Trawl Surveys (BITS)
Quality control
Description of QA/QC procedures - no
QA/QC procedures no
Data management
Data holder is Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR" and ICES. Data are available in BIOR in Integrated Control and Information System of Latvia (LZIKIS) as well as in ICES.
Data holder will be Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia (NCA) and Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR. QA/QC on data no. Data will be available in NCA/BIOR/HELCOM.
Data access
Related indicator/name
  • INC
  • MOR
  • MamCetacSmall
  • MamSeals
  • PresEnvBycatch
Contact
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR:
Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia (NCA): Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR:
References
www.helcom.fi/action-areas/monitoring-and-assessment/monitoring-manual/fish-fisheries-and-shellfish/fisheries-bycatch For fisheries data collection: https://datacollection.jrc.ec.europa.eu/wp/2020 BIOR guidelines/manuals: Methods for collecting biological samples from fishing vessels by random choice: https://www.bior.lv/sites/default/files/inline-files/Random_sampling.pdf Guidance for observers to work in the Baltic Sea on Latvian fishing vessels: https://www.bior.lv/sites/default/files/inline-files/Guidelines_observer_Baltic.pdf Guidelines for coastal monitoring: https://www.bior.lv/sites/default/files/inline-files/Piekrastes_uzskaites_bentiska_uskaite_RJL.pdf
HELCOM guidelines: https://helcom.fi/media/publications/Guidelines-for-monitoring-Seal-abundance-and-distribution-in-the-HELCOM-area.pdf