Nord Stream Signs Agreement with Polish Fishery Organisations
- Major step in closing agreements with fishery organisations around the Baltic Sea
- Solutions found for all fishermen in the Baltic Sea region depending on the impact of pipeline construction and operation
14. Januar 2011 | Zug | On January 11, 2011, Nord Stream AG signed an agreement with two Polish fishery associations (Zrzeszenie Rybaków Morskich – Organizacja Producentów and Organizacja Producentów Rybnych Władysławowo sp. z o.o.) on the compensation for all Polish fishermen customarily fishing in the vicinity of the pipeline.
Nord Stream will make a one time payment to the Polish fishery organisations, which is to be managed entirely by the organisations themselves. It will be used to pay one-off compensation to any Polish fishermen customarily fishing in the vicinity of the pipeline and to provide these fishermen with any relevant information regarding the project.
"After intensive talks with Polish fishery organisations, we could now finalise the set of agreements with fishery organisations around the Baltic Sea," underlines Nord Stream Permitting Director Dirk von Ameln. “Nord Stream's priority as a responsible pipeline developer and operator is to minimize impacts to fishing activities as much as possible."
Nord Stream deals with all fishermen in the Baltic Sea region according to their customary fishing practices. Nord Stream's environmental and social management policy allows for the voluntary approach of all fishing organisations and independent fishermen around the Baltic Sea to negotiate agreements. These agreements include arrangements on the provision of information, as well as compensation for restrictions during pipeline construction, alteration of fishing patterns and for the additional effort necessary to fish in the vicinity of the future Nord Stream Pipelines.
Potential impact from the presence of the pipelines on the sea bottom will be essentially limited to trawlers, particularly bottom trawlers, who may need to make an additional effort as compared to their customary fishing practices, i.e. adjust their fishing techniques, including adjusting trawling gear, and/or geographical location and take into account the presence of the pipelines.
