Baltic Marine Environment
Protection Commission

 

Baltic Marine Environment
Protection Commission

    Latvia

    Head of Delegation

    Baiba Zasa
    Ministry of Climate and Energy of the Republic of Latvia
    25 Peldu Str., LV-1494 Riga, Latvia
    Phone:
    Fax: +371 7 820442
    Email: baiba.zasa@kem.gov.lv

    The Latvian Baltic

    Summer sunset on Jurmala beach
    Cable-stayed bridge across Daugava river in Riga
    Aerial view of the Lielupe estuary
    Jurmala beach

    Latvia is situated on the East Coast of the Baltic Sea. The length of Latvia’s Baltic coastline is 490 km – comprising 182 km of Baltic Sea coast to the Lituanian border and 308 km coastline of the Gulf of Riga to the Estonian border.

    The Gulf of Riga and the Irbe Straight are internationally important wintering sites for waterbirds, where the total number in autumn and winter can exceed 2,000,000 birds.

    Latvia is situated on a trading cross-road and has long since served as a bridge between Western Europe and Russia. The famous “route from the Vikings to the Greeks” mentioned in ancient chronicles stretched from Skandinavia throught Latvian territory along the Daugava River to the ancient Russian and Byzanthine Empire.

    For Latvia the Baltic Sea is important for fishery, transportation and trading routes. Ventspils, Riga and Liepaja are the biggest ports in Latvia. Fish resources and their utilization traditionally have had a significant role in the Latvian national economy. Baltic Sea creates favorable conditions for recreation, tourism and scientific research.

    Resources

    Marine Programmes

    The Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre is responsible for establishing and coordinating the State Monitoring System. The Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology is responsible for and conducts the State Program for Marine Monitoring and HELCOM Combine programme. 

    Marine research and marine monitoring
    Mr. Juris Aigars
    Director
    Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology
    Tel: +371 7 601 995

    Coastal zone monitoring
    Ms. Anda Ikauniece
    Head of the Laboratory of Hydrobiology
    Marine Monitoring Centre
    Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology
    Tel: +371 7 602 301

    Bird monitoring
    Ms. Antra Stipniece
    Faculty of Biology
    University of Latvia
    Tel: +371 7 945 393

    Fish monitoring in coastal waters and migratory fish resources
    Mr. Maris Vitins
    Director
    Latvian Fish Resources Agency
    Tel: +371 7 612 409

    Agriculture
    Mr. Viesturs Jansons
    Tel: +371 30 29908
    Latvian University of Agriculture
    Agricultural runoff monitoring system (developed in the framework of Swedish-Latvian BEAROP project)

    Marine and Inland Waters Administration
    Ms. Evija Smite
    Director
    MIWA