Events at the Vecsalaca salmon weir and Lamprey Day in Salacgrīva

On 11 October, Salacgrīva and Svētciems will celebrate the traditional Lamprey Day – a day when we honour this unique fishing craft, its masters and the lamprey itself!

This autumn Saturday offered a variety of activities for the whole family, combining fishing traditions, delicious food and entertainment. Alongside the events at the lamprey weirs in Svētciems and Salacgrīva, interesting activities took place at the salmon weir in Vecsalaca.

Here again this year, specialists from the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve Nature Centre of the Nature Conservation Agency, together with the LIFE IS SALACA project team, revealed the secrets and natural values of the Salaca River to visitors. The weather was very favourable, and everyone could walk to the salmon weir to see what was happening there, as well as learn about life in the river in creative workshops and masterclasses.

Linda Uzule, Lauma Vizule-Kahovska and Elīza Skutāne, project partners from the Nature Conservation Agency, talked about the LIFE IS SALACA project and the management work it has carried out and plans to carry out to improve the water quality of the Salaca River and the salmon spawning grounds.

Visitors big and small learned about the fish living in the river, their habits, aquatic plants and invertebrates. They tested their knowledge of Latvian lakes, put together puzzles of various fish species living here, and enjoyed a delicious salmon soup prepared by the association “Fishing Club”.

After visiting the salmon weir, there was still time to visit the Svētupe lamprey weir and the first lamprey weir in Salacgrīva, to meet entrepreneurs and craftspeople of Limbaži Municipality at the market “Entrepreneurs’ Quarter 2025”, see what they had to offer and buy quality local produce, enjoy the cultural programme “Limbaži Municipality cultural whirl” and end the celebrations with a concert by the band “Zeļļi” at Svētupe Manor. As for the Lamprey Run, we had already missed it… we will have to remember it next year!

Thank you for a wonderful celebration, rich in traditions, delicacies and active recreation! See you next year!