A few weeks ago, representatives of Sölvesborg, Simrishamn and Karlskrona municipality gathered for a crisis meeting following the EU's decision to stop all herring fishing for four months this summer to protect the threatened Baltic Sea cod during its game period.

Since then, the three coastal municipalities have collected data on what the herring fishing means for both the visitor industry and the professional fishermen during the current period. Soon, they will submit a joint letter to the government and the EU.

- Fishing during this period is extremely important for the fishermen but also for the hospitality industry. Sölvesborg is strongly associated with fishing and a stop would make the fish disappear from here, says Stefan Olofsson.

Suggest research fishing

Among other things, it is proposed that fishermen should be able to fish herring during the summer despite the ban - by conducting research fishing during the stopover period. The idea then is that the boats will be equipped with surveillance cameras to visualize the amount of cod that comes with the herring as a by-catch.

- The by-catch in the form of cod is only a tenth of the herring that comes up, so we feel that there is no evidence to verify that there should be a stop on herring fishing during this period, says Stefan Olofsson.

Requires compensation

If this does not go the way, the municipalities demand that the victims be compensated.

- If we cannot influence the stop, we must get some kind of financial compensation for the industry. Otherwise, I think the fishing industry and the identity industry in Sölvesborg will disappear, says Stefan Olofsson.

Simrishamn, Sölvesborg and Karlskrona Municipality have now sent a request for a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Jennie Nilsson to submit the letter to her personally.

SVT News Blekinge has applied for Jennie Nilsson, but via her press secretary we are referred to the answer she previously gave SVT regarding the decision to stop herring fishing. Then she said that she is disappointed with the decision but that it is not possible to change.

- We had wanted an exception, but were not heard.