For their many years of work and the growth of their fishing enterprise, Edgars Zviedris and the fishing farm “Silzviedri” have this year received recognition in the “Best in Local Fisheries” category at the “Lielais loms 2026” Fisheries Awards.
However, this award is not the story of a single successful season. It is rooted in a fishing tradition passed down through generations, purposeful work and the ability to make use of available opportunities for development. Edgars Zviedris’ fishing farm “Silzviedri” represents the ninth generation of his family to make a living from fishing in the same place. Today, local fishing means not only preserving a tradition, but also being able to use available support to make the demanding day-to-day work more efficient.
For Edgars Zviedris, fishing is not a profession he happened to choose. He is the ninth generation in his family to continue fishing in the same place. He can trace his family’s fishing history back to 1740. “I am the ninth generation here that has neither changed location nor occupation. This approach and way of thinking are passed down from one generation to the next. You have to be born a fisherman; becoming one is very difficult,” says Zviedris.
Support That Helps Fishermen Stay at Sea
Tradition alone, however, is no longer enough. Small-scale coastal fishing faces challenges related to the availability of fish stocks, losses caused by seals and generational renewal. This is why cooperation and the opportunity to use European Union funding have become increasingly important for fishermen. Over the past five years, small-scale coastal fishers have increasingly joined forces to represent the interests of the sector and make their voices heard by institutions. As fishermen have become more active in highlighting their work and speaking about their needs, support opportunities have also become more accessible. “When we joined forces, we showed that the sector is still alive. And thanks to that, support started to come,” says Zviedris.
The fishing farm has implemented several projects, investing in improved working conditions, fishing equipment, a boat trailer, a navigation system and other necessary machinery and equipment. In total, the projects have attracted significant EU co-financing, allowing the farm to modernise its operations step by step. Projects are currently also being implemented to compensate for losses caused by protected marine mammals and to develop selective fishing gear. Such opportunities are provided through the Programme for the Development of Fisheries 2021–2027, which is implemented in Latvia under the Common Fisheries Policy.
A Fisherman’s Strength Is His Family
Although technology and funding help make the work more efficient, Edgars Zviedris believes that people remain at the heart of local fishing. At “Silzviedri”, the day-to-day work is carried out by the owner himself, his wife and his father – a small but close-knit family team. “Successful fishermen have fishing families. There is a wife, three children, support, a team. There are things you simply cannot get done on your own.”
He also does not see his farm as a large business with many employees. The nature of fishing means that the workload can vary and that it is not possible to go out to sea every day and achieve the same results. A family-based model therefore allows the work to be organised more flexibly.
The biggest question for the future is whether the younger generation will want to continue this way of life. Edgars’ son is interested in fishing, but his father will not make the choice for him. He knows how demanding the work is and therefore does not want to romanticise it. “The sea is powerful,” he says. Technology and support can make the work easier, but you still have to go out to sea yourself. The next generation will have to answer a very practical question – whether fishing will be enough to support a family. For Edgars himself, the answer is clear for now. In recent years, he has no longer had to look for additional work elsewhere during the winter, as “Silzviedri” currently provides enough income to make a living from fishing.
Edgars Zviedris’ story shows that the growth of local fishing does not always mean becoming bigger. It can also mean staying in the same place, continuing a family tradition and using available support purposefully to make the work more efficient. This experience demonstrates that support can help keep small-scale coastal fishing and its traditions alive for future generations.
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH PLAN 2026–2036
Objective:
To increase agricultural output and productivity, contributing an additional 2 percentage points to GDP and, over the next 10 years, bringing agricultural output per hectare closer to Finland’s level – from EUR 971/ha in 2026 to EUR 2,256/ha in 2036.
This can be achieved by:
increasing productivity;
improving competitiveness;
cooperating throughout the value chain;
improving risk management.
Informational campaign on the Jauns.lv news portal aimed at promoting the CAP Strategic Plan (CAP SP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Programme.
