This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 4 2025.
The Latvian North Atlantic Fisheries Association (LNAFA) was welcomed as a member of Europeche in April 2025, an association rooted in enabling “fluent communication” between European nations in the marine environment. Europeche represents over 45,000 vessels and 80,000 fishermen across ten different European countries. Joining Europeche marks a large step for the LNAFA, which operates primarily in distant waters, such as those around Greenland and Iceland and thus faces unique regulatory challenges. Membership of the organisation provides the LNAFA with a new forum to voice concerns about agreements and accessibility on an international level. Over the past few years, the LNAFA has served as Latvia’s primary defence for access to distant fishing grounds, representing the nation’s deep-sea fleets in policy negotiations. The association has focused on “maintaining viable quotas and safeguarding industry jobs tied to international agreements.” Latvia’s distant water fleets are responsible for a “significant” portion of the country’s seafood exports, which is a €270 million industry.
Recently, the LNAFA has brought attention to the rising fuel costs and port fees imposed by the EU, arguing that these regulations disproportionately affect operations in distant waters. With its new membership to Europeche, the association can work to align themselves further with other distant-water operators and advocate for fair treatment within EU regulations.
