This winter, fishermen had little work because the winter was warm. Ice fishing lasted only a few weeks. Now, fishermen have a lot of work again, as the spring season for catching vendace and burbot has begun.
Margus Narusing has worked as a fisherman for over 40 years. He manages the company OÜ Latikas, which operates in Mehikoorma. Narusing says that although the winter was warm, the spring fishing season has started successfully. "There is plenty of fish in the lake. Often, if there is no winter, there is also little fish in the spring. This year, winter lasted only 2-3 weeks. We thought that the spring might be weak. But the current fishing results are good. April is the main fishing month, but we already started fishing with boats in March. Then the fish came less, but now it is coming nicely," said Narusing.
The warm winter did not affect well the fish that spawn in late autumn or early winter. But in general, it did not affect other fish much.
Fisheries scientist Väino Vaino says: "The most valuable fish in Lake Peipsi are pike-perch and perch. Their stocks are moderate. These are the most important fish for export. There are many burbots in the lake. This is the main fish for the local market. Overall, the situation with Peipsi fish stocks is good."
Since the number of fish in Peipsi is good, the fishing quotas have also been increased. "This year, the quotas are slightly higher. This is currently normal for the lake. Scientists have calculated through research that the fish stocks are good for the fish we are catching. For example, the burbot quota was increased, the pike-perch quota as well, while the perch quota remained the same. The quota situation is currently good," said Narusing.