Eesti in brief

Estonian counter intelligence agent Eston Kohver, who was arrested under mysterious circumstances on the Russian-Estonian border — quite which side remains disputed — will be kept under arrest in Russia until at least Jan 5, 2015.
Yevgeni Aksyonov, Kohver’s defense lawyer, who has been appointed to defend Kohver by the Russian State, claims the Federal Security Bureau (FSB) has comprehensive video recordings of Kohver crossing into Russian territory. Aksyonov has accused the Estonian Security Policy Police of being indifferent to Kohver’s trial and ongoing detainment.
But the Estonian Foreign ministry denies these claims, arguing that Kohver was kidnapped on the Estonian side of the border, confirming on Oct. 30 that it has been doing its utmost to secure Kohver’s fast release and return home. Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas also said at an Oct. 30 press conference that it is important to view messages coming from Russia with caution.

NATO reported more Russian military flights and intercepts Friday over the Baltics, North Sea and Atlantic, just days after it picked up “an unusual level” of activity over European airspace.
The Russian flights, as previously, included “fighter jets, long-range bombers and tanker aircraft,” NATO military spokesman Colonel Martin Downie said.
In one incident, two Russian TU-95 nuclear capable bombers flew west of Britain and down to Portugal, escorted by Norwegian, British and Portuguese fighter aircraft, Downie said. No violations of NATO airspace were detected, he added.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that the US-led military alliance remained vigilant given the increase in such activity.
“We are not in a Cold War situation but Russia has undermined a lot of trust,” he said against a backdrop of continued tensions over Ukraine. “We must keep NATO strong.”
NATO says that so far this year it has launched more than 100 intercepts of Russian aircraft, three times more than in all 2013.

At the 2015 Baltic Sea fisheries policy negotiations that completed in Luxembourg, it was agreed that next year, Baltic herring fishing quota will increase for Estonia both at the open part of the Baltic Sea and in Gulf of Riga, Postimees Online reports.
“The abundance of fish is such that we have the opportunity to bring very good news to Estonian fishermen.,” said Environment Minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus.
Next year, Estonian Baltic herring fishing quota in the open part of the Baltic Sea will be 18,363 tonnes, or 45% more than this year. In the Gulf of Riga, next year the herring quota is 17,908 tonnes, which is 26 percent more than in 2014.
At the beginning of negotiations, the European Commission sought to cut the Baltic sprat fishing quota by 17 percent. Estonia did not agree to such a large reduction of the quota and according to the agreement concluded, the cut is in the 11 percent range.