Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, using biodiversity-friendly practices and contributing to ecosystem resilience is embedded in Estonia’s main sector strategies and in binding domestic law, largely through EU and national environmental governance frameworks.

Strategic documents

• Agriculture and Fisheries Strategy 2030 (AFS 2030): explicitly integrates fisheries and aquaculture with goals to preserve the environment and biodiversity and includes a dedicated sub-objective on sustainable fisheries and sustainable management of fish stocks.
• Estonian Marine Strategy – Programme of Measures a national measures framework to reach/maintain good environmental status of Estonia’s marine area, identifying key pressures (eutrophication, hazardous substances, etc.) that directly affect fisheries/aquaculture sustainability.
• Multi-annual National Agenda for Aquaculture 2030 (EU-required national plan): sets sustainability/green-transition objectives for aquaculture and ties expansion to environmental performance, water permits, and project-level environmental impact assessment.
• Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan implements EU maritime spatial planning requirements and explicitly covers fisheries and aquaculture while requiring environmental protection/resilience considerations.

Legislation

Fishing Act provides enforceable conservation tools, like closed seasons/areas, minimum sizes, by-catch conditions, and prohibitions on fishing that conflicts with national/EU/internationally set fishing opportunities. 

Nature Conservation Act sets the protected-areas framework, including Natura 2000 designation, management planning, permitting conditions, and habitat action plans where needed (including when required by international obligations).

Water Act establishes the water permit system and allows refusal where discharges would endanger areas designated to protect aquatic species or habitats (including protected areas where water quality is a key protective factor).

Main policy measures

1. Sustainable fisheries management (wild capture). Fishing is regulated via opportunities/authorisations, and enforceable conservation rules (setting closed seasons/areas, minimum sizes, by-catch conditions). It is aligned with the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which frames resource use/protection and coherence with marine environmental objectives.
2. Protection and restoration of aquatic biodiversity and habitats. Protected areas and Natura 2000 designation; habitat action plans and management plans where conservation outcomes are not being met or international obligations require it. National fisheries policy scope explicitly includes reproduction of fish stocks and protection and restoration of spawning grounds and habitats.
3. Water quality and pollution-pressure reduction (critical for fish stocks and aquaculture). Water permitting, monitoring requirements, and refusal/constraints where activities threaten protected habitats/species areas. Marine Strategy Programme of Measures address key pressures such as eutrophication and hazardous substances.
4. Sustainable aquaculture governance (permits, impact control, “green transition”). Aquaculture planning links sector growth to environmental status and requires project-level EIA and, where needed, compensatory measures embedded in water permits to keep nutrient/pollutant loads within local tolerance. Spatial planning provides the framework for where/under what conditions marine uses (including aquaculture) can occur, with environmental protection as a core objective.
5. Integrated marine/coastal spatial planning. Maritime spatial plan steers sea-area uses (including fisheries/aquaculture) to reduce conflicts and manage cumulative impacts while protecting the marine environment.