The European Commission has adopted an action plan setting out how Croatia can overcome identified shortcomings in its fisheries control system, following an inquiry into irregularities last year. The measures were agreed together with the Croatian authorities and are already being implemented.

Late last Friday, after two weeks of intense but constructive negotiations, the United Nations Preparatory Committee for a new legally-binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction closed its session.

The European Commission has adopted two regulations that will facilitate two Member States to comply with European environmental legislation to protect natural environments. In particular the regulations will help the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework and the Habitats and Birds Directives.

A four-day campaign co-funded by the EU against illegal fishing off the West Africa Coast has shown concrete results in tackling illegal fishing in Western Africa.

The proposal is based on the recently adopted multiannual fisheries management plan for the Baltic Sea, and takes into consideration scientific advice received in May 2016.

The European Commission has taken another step in fleshing out the rules for data collection in the fisheries sector.

Today the European Commission has proposed a multi-annual plan for demersal fish stocks in the North Sea. The proposal covers demersal fish stocks, i.e. fish that live and feed near the bottom of the sea, and aims to ensure that stocks are fished at sustainable levels. It will also bring decision-making closer to fishermen.

The fight against illegal fishing was a key topic of conversation at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) last week, with FAO's Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (COFI) celebrating the entry into force of the FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) at its meeting in Rome on 11-15 July.