County authorities hunt illegal fishermen in Kalix archipelago with unlawful nets
Illegal traps and nets are scattered along the coast in the Kalix archipelago. The county authority conducts regular supervision operations to stop illegal fishing and protect sea trout.
Illegal nets in Kalix archipelago – county authority in action
Along the islands in the Kalix archipelago, illegal traps and fishing nets are positioned along the coast. The county authority conducts recurring operations to stop illegal fishing, and SVT Nyheter was able to follow along on one of the trips.
Early one morning in May, the county authority's boat left a harbour just south of Kalix. The mission: to locate illegal nets and fishermen in order to ensure the continued survival of sea trout in the area.
– We are out for longer periods and do not always have luck with the weather. Sometimes it storms and sometimes the weather is fine. But we are still out there looking, says Dan Blomkvist, county fishing consultant in Norrbotten.
During supervision periods, two vessels are used to work efficiently and over long shifts. A larger boat is used to inspect suspected nets and simultaneously serves as sleeping quarters. A rubber boat is sent along the coastline in order to get close enough to identify nets.
– It is a clear method. We have one boat and then we have a smaller one that can get close to the coastline and really identify whether there are nets, says Blomkvist.
The three-metre rule regulates fishing
According to current nautical charts, fishing with nets is prohibited in water areas shallower than three metres during the period 1 April–10 June and 1 October–31 December. The rule is called the three-metre rule and is intended to protect the migratory sea trout, which during these months inhabit shallow water.
An exception applies during October: nets with a mesh size under 37 millimetres are then permitted, so as not to restrict legal fishing for vendace.
Source: SVT Nyheter