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The remote meeting of the Seimas Economic Committee held last week focused on the port of Sventoji.
The work carried out, which is mainly the preparation of documents, was presented to the committee members.
The stages in which the reconstruction of the port must be carried out are also examined.
The committee proposed that the Sventoji port issue be included in the Government’s action plan.
“The port of Šventoji is a strategic object owned by the municipality under the state property right. You don’t have to worry only about the municipality. The municipality is like an engine to continue with the projects that have been carried out – a detailed plan has been completed, more than one hundred thousand euros have been paid, a technical project, more than one hundred thousand euros, I do not want to lie in the ministries drawers and not be forgotten.
If the state decided to spend and invest in rebuilding the port of Sventoji, we must be that engine. We also need to talk to the government about how we can finance the port. We had such participation, “said Š.Vaitkus.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / Šarūnas Vaitkus
Manage infrastructure for fishermen
One of the first tangible works that should really be implemented in the port is the improvement of the infrastructure for the fishermen.
In the second half of February, the contractor who will carry out the works in the municipality of Palanga must be announced.
If there are no interruptions, work could start in March or April.
According to the mayor, it is planned to organize the entrance to the port of Sventoji, the surrounding environment, sites where fishermen could store transport.
Here there should be a hangar for storing equipment, as well as facilities that would allow fishermen to lower their boats into the water in a civilized and comfortable way without maturing, as is now the case with rubber boots.
“We believe that this first step is very important to show that we are moving forward,” said the mayor.
The municipality has received 1.7 million LTL for these works. he claims to contribute himself, depending on the price.
All work should be finished by the fall of next year. The work in progress will not prevent fishermen from using the port.
“Let’s face it, today we have no civilized access to the sea at all. There are also walks in the dunes, the fishermen get tired and stumble. Our desire to pave the way for a civilized approach would allow us to park our cars instead of hacking them in the dunes. .
The fishermen will have their own premises. If the equipment fails, it should not be pulled, it could get hot in the rain. A civilization will emerge, and now it does not exist. There are those fishermen on the seashore, we walk a lot, we will probably see a boat every 20-30 meters. In winter, he carries his equipment, he dives, he takes risks, ”said Š.Vaitkus.
There are also walks in the dunes, the fishermen get tired and stumble. Our desire to pave the way for civilized access would allow us to park our cars instead of hacking them in the dunes.
According to Ramunė Urbonienė, head of the Palanga Municipality’s Department of Economic Development, in Šventoji alone there are eight companies of individual fishermen, with two to six vessels employing employees.
Some have fewer and others employ up to 10-12 people during the fishing season.
Fishermen from Palanga and Klaipėda will be able to use the infrastructure if they wish.
“We are a maritime state, we must supply fish to the coast,” said the mayor.
The fishermen themselves have plans to put a small fish market on the coast.
According to R. Urbonienė, the local action group of the fishing region implements the strategy until 2023 and has planned a series of activities related to the infrastructure and development of the Sventoji port.
Besides the market, there should be small inns and fish restaurants.
The most important object – springs
In order for the port of Šventoji to run smoothly, the mayor names the quay construction as the most important object. Without them, according to Š.Vaitkus, it’s not even worth starting.
“The main thing, number one, is the docks, because it is not even worth building a port without them, so we just raise our hands and do nothing,” says the mayor.
In search of sources of funding from the European Union (EU), he contacted the Commissioner for Maritime Affairs in Brussels before the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have hope … We have a feasibility study prepared by scientists. It clearly establishes the importance of piers for coastal erosion: it catches sand, prevents it from moving to the Latvian side, and the surplus is used to solve coastal erosion.
The construction of docks is not cheap, we are trying to find solutions to include them as an environmental measure in the Government’s action plan and then look for opportunities to apply in the EU, again as an environmental measure that not only serves the port but also stops coastal erosion. Along the way, we appealed to the Seimas Economic Committee to make such a proposal to the Government.
I also spoke to Minister of the Environment Simon Gentville to draw attention, – Š. Silence. – There must be a common position of the State and this issue should be closed once, because for how many years all governments have been registering this issue, we have had the infrastructure for a long time, if we consider it a priority.
This territory of the state is not just a port, not just pleasure boats, part of it is dedicated to the needs of the Ministry of National Defense when necessary. It is a strategic object that can be implemented in stages during the EU funding phase 2021-2027.
The construction of docks in the sea is the most expensive stage, we could build them not with state funds, if we unite, this goal would be realistic and fast. We could have springs in a few years, that would be the biggest step. “
Photo by Alvydas Januševičius / 15min / Šventoji
The mayor also highlights that the piers would serve to maintain the beautiful and wide white sand beaches.
It is noticed that even old logs stop the movement of the sand.
Skins and private spaces
Š.Vaitkus looks at the close neighbors of the Baltic Sea coast: Sweden, Denmark, Poland, where there are quite a few of those ports that grace the coast and attract ships.
The EU directive foresees that they be accommodated almost every 50 kilometers so that the ships can breathe a certain distance.
“From what I have heard, Latvians can defend us faster than we have in 30 years … I would like it to be not only a prerogative of the municipality, but of everyone,” Š.Vaitkus said.
After the construction of the piers, new stages would be carried out: the piers would be maintained and reinforced, where the yachts would be moored and other works would be carried out.
Young sailors also see their place in the port. There is no doubt that a sailing school, in great demand, would find its place in this coastal town.
“When they ask me if the port will pay off, I always ask another question: will the viaduct pay off? It is worth it because it creates comfort.
It is clear that the port will not pay the taxes on the yachts, but let’s look the other way: when we started to take real steps due to the port of Sventoji, the number of people willing to invest in Sventoji increased: hotels, catering establishments. .
If we had a port that would attract visitors to walk, stay, see yachts, many investments would come to Šventoji: sanatoriums, rest houses, and the return to the state would be in the form of taxes, job creation, ”said the mayor. from the municipality of Palanga, which is already happy that the ruins that erupted in 2006 took new forms, managing the private areas around the port.
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