Socio-economic evaluation of lamprey stock importance to the region.

The socio-economic evaluation of the importance of river lamprey stock to the lamprey fishing areas in Kurzeme region (Latvia) and Klaipeda county and Telsiai county (Lithuania) is carried out under the Interreg V-A Latvia – Lithuania Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020, project “Crossboundary evaluation and management of lamprey stocks in Lithuania and Latvia (LLI-310 LAMPREY). The project aims to reinforce sustainable, scientific data-based management of lamprey stock by proposing common Strategy for lamprey stock management in Latvia and Lithuania, and to increase integration between national bodies responsible for fisheries management. This report is Stage 1 of the total evaluation, and it includes assessment of the cultural and economic importance of lamprey stocks and fishery to the region.

The study territory covers all river lamprey fishing area in Lithuania (Sventoji settlement, Nemunas downstream and Curonian lagoon), while Kurzeme region holds approximately 1/3 of the total lamprey catches in Latvia.

The purpose of the study is to assess the societal and economic benefits that are generated from the river lamprey stock; to analyse the value-added chain in lamprey-related activities, and the role in maintenance of the traditional identity of the region. The relevant findings of this study will be incorporated by LAMPREY project partners into lamprey stock management Strategy, common for both Latvia and Lithuania.

The river lamprey is the only exploited lamprey species in Latvia and Lithuania with local role in commercial fishery and conservation concern in Europe. The lamprey-related pattern includes the community that harvest lamprey from the biological stocks in order to provide products for the market and revenues to the fishers. It also forms a part of cultural identity and traditions of the fishing areas and total region. To cover all these relationships and to evaluate the social and economic importance of the river lamprey stock to the region, the set of indicators is created by observing economic, social and environmental aspects.

The following tasks were set for the study:

• to characterise the socio-economic situation in Klaipėda county, Telsiai county and Kurzeme region by determining the factors of the quality of life, the population structure and dynamics since 2015, economic activity in the territory and the role of fishing in it;
• to analyse market related, cultural and environmental aspects of lamprey fishing, processing and consumption of the lamprey products in the region in accordance with the approach of value chain;
• to analyse the fishers’ and other stakeholders’ perception of fishery and lamprey stocks as part of the local ecosystem services.

The study includes official statistics and available results of the previously done research. Considering limited access to the social and economic data due to the local character and comparably small scale of the lamprey-related activities, the results of the semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and local residents' survey have been used widely in the study. The study has been carried out in accordance with the Agreements No LK-2019-16 and sub-agreements No LK-2019-17 and No LK-2019-18. The authors for the evaluation of cultural and economic importance of lamprey stocks and fishery to the region of Latvia are Ieva Leimane and Viktorija Lismane. The authors for the evaluation of cultural and economic importance of lamprey stocks and fishery to the region of Lithuania are Dr. Donalda Karnauskaitė and Eglė Baltranaitė.

Full reports attached below:

 PDF1 , PDF2