Ecology, Estonia, Markets and Companies

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Estonian regulator launches environmental impact assessment for offshore fish farming

BC, Tallinn, 17.05.2019.Print version
The Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority launched an environmental impact assessment of the building rights of Saaremere Kala, a subsidiary of the listed producer and seller of fish products AS PRFoods, which has applied for building rights to establish an offshore fish farming complex in the Estonian coastal waters in the northern part of Tagalahe bay situated on the north coast of the island of Saaremaa, informed LETA/BNS.

The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority decided to launch the building rights' procedure on May 3. Saaremere Kala AS has submitted an application for building rights for the establishment of offshore fish farming complex in the Estonian coastal waters in the northern part of Tagalahe bay situated on the north coast of the island of Saaremaa to start farming rainbow trout, it appears from the authority's notice.


According to the regulator, an underwater archaeological study must be carried out, the need for additional studies will be determined in the course of compiling the environmental impact assessment program.


The estimated annual production, or growth, of fish is some 2,050 tons and the consumption of feed approximately 2,357.5 tons per year. The company is planning to install 16 fish farming netcages across the area and 45,000 fish in each netcage.


The size of the encumberable area is three square kilometers, the total area of the netcage is 1,146 square meters and the volume 6,880 cubic meters.


As at the time of the initiation of the handling of the building rights procedure, the nationwide planning of the Estonian marine area and the adjacent coastal area, as well as the procedure for the thematic plan of the exclusive economic zone, initiated by the government is in progress, the building permit granted to the planned area is valid only one year after the plan is established.


In January, Saaremere Kala submitted to the Environmental Board an application for a permit for the special use of water for farming rainbow trout in the Tagalahe offshore fish farming complex. Back then, the Environmental Board did not review the application, returning it to the company. One reason for it highlighted by the authority was that it is not yet certain whether the procedure for the building rights of the fish farming complex will be initiated at all.






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