Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour and pleasure for me, on behalf of the Swedish Government, to welcome you all to this expert consultation. I would like to direct my gratitude especially to Mr. Gaudet, Secretary of EIFAC, who has made it possible for Sweden to act as host country for the consultation.
The questions in the field of fishery which will be discussed these next few days in Gothenburg are of great interest to Sweden. The sport fishing organizations state that at least two million Swedes fish in their leisure time. This would imply no less than 34 percent of the population. The number of professional fishermen is, on the other hand, relatively limited. At the end of 1973 full and part time fishermen in the country numbered about 7 500.
The Swedes are an open air life-loving people. Through the so called “Right of Common Access” we have ample opportunities to stay and roam in the countryside. It involves the right for everybody to trespass and temporarily stay on land belonging to others.
Even if fishing is not included in the “Right of Common Access”, the Swedes' habits concerning outdoor life have also, of course, stimulated the interest for sport fishing.
For the people of today, living in our highly industrialized society it is of vital importance to have free access to the recreational values in our woods and countryside and fishing waters.
Sweden has for a long time enjoyed an abundance of fishing waters. We have more than 2 500 km of coastal waters where fishing to a large extent is free for Swedish citizens. The area of the lakes totals about 40 000 square km and in some of the largest lakes sport fishing is also relatively free.
Furthermore, today there exist more than 2 000 areas reserved for licensed fishing where the public is allowed to fish at a fee. The main part of the licensed fishing waters is privately owned but the government and the municipalities also grant the use of considerable areas. The licensed fishing areas consist of more than one million ha of lakes and 10 000 km of rivers and streams.
I have to admit that Sweden's abundance of fishing waters has sometimes impeded our contacts with those interested in fishing in other countries. The situation today, however, gives us cause to reconsider this and to seek co-operation across the national borders. I hope that this consultation will open the way to such an intensified co-operation.
What then is new in the situation regarding sport fisheries? The increased amount of leisure time implies that people have more time for fishing. The demand for easily accessible and good fishing waters has grown dramatically. Even in Sweden we feel the need for a fishery legislation and a fishery conservancy which better correspond to the needs of sport fishermen.
A Government Commission is now reviewing our fishery legislation in order to eliminate, where possible, unnecessary obstacles for an increased and freer fishery in our waters. The Commission is to study the need for measures regarding fishery conservation and to submit adequate proposals in this context. The interests of the commercial fishermen will, of course, be taken into consideration.
The regulation of our rivers for the purpose of electric power production has also posed certain problems for sport fishery. But there still exist several rivers which are totally or almost totally untouched. Furthermore, fish - especially of the salmonid species - are stocked to compensate for the negative intrusions on the fishery. About two million salmon and sea trout smolts are stocked into the Baltic sea at a cost of eight million Swedish Crowns.
Pollution of our waters caused by emissions from industries and urban areas has for a long time been a problem for our fishery. A more stringent environment legislation and very large investments in order to purify waste water has improved the situation these last few years.
A total of 2 500 million Swedish Crowns has been invested in municipal purification plants during the period 1968 to 1974. Of this sum more than 1 000 millions consisted of government grants.
Our most serious problem right now is the acidification of our waters caused by the sulphur fall-out from combustion of oil and coal. About half of the fall-out originates from other countries and is brought by winds to Sweden. Ten thousand lakes in our country are affected by the sulphur fall-out. In a considerable number of these lakes the fish have, consequently, died out. We have aimed at decreasing the amount of sulphur omissions by restricting the maximum sulphur content of oil for heating purposes, in certain areas. Our government has also established a special group with the mandate to investigate the need for further measures to prevent the acidification of our waters. It is our hope that other countries which contribute to this form of air pollution will take necessary steps along similar lines.
When it comes to international co-operation concerning the prevention of an increasing acidification of the lakes, I feel that the sport fishers have an important role to play to build up opinions.
With these words I would like to wish you all fruitful discussions and I once again confirm the interest of Sweden in contributing to international co-operation in the field of sport fishery.
Once again, to all of you, a hearty welcome to Sweden.
