Commissioner Maria Damanaki to introduce Pierre-Yves Cousteau as Special Advisor
Tomorrow, Pierre-Yves Cousteau will be in Brussels to meet Commissioner Maria Damanaki and the staff of the European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Pierre-Yves Cousteau is president of Cousteau Divers, which gets individuals to actively participate in the study and protection of the environment.
Commissioner Damanaki said "Pierre-Yves Cousteau has embarked on a long-term engagement to promote the sustainable use of the marine resources. I am proud to announce that Pierre-Yves Cousteau will be my Special Advisor and I am looking forward to his input and advice on crucial issues that we will have to address in the near future."
Addressing the staff of the European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Commissioner Damanaki said:
"During the first half of my mandate, I have been pushing for change. Over the last couple of years, the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy has been launched. We have put sustainability of the stocks high on the agenda. Scientific advice now comes first in the way TACs and quotas are negotiated.
2010-2012: Two and a half Years of Change in Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
We have seen hard choices made to protect the marine resources of the Mediterranean, including making sure we stop overfishing of bluefin tunas.
We have partnered with other countries to combat the scourge of illegal fishing worldwide, and have applied at home a new system that is transparent and effective.
We have been taking our commitment to sustainability forward internationally; and everywhere in Europe we have pursued a development agenda that fuels growth and breaks down silos between economic sectors.Our maritime policy instruments are providing the framework for industry to innovate: better knowledge of the sea and more straightforward planning processes, for achieving blue growth.
We have achieved a lot, but more challenges lie ahead.
One, it is clear, will be getting the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy through and making sure that the resources needed to implement it are available.
We need to be credible, within EU borders, continuing stepping up enforcement and control, and internationally likewise.
Initiatives such as Waste Free Oceans or the creation of Marine Protected Areas must be elaborated more thoroughly and promoted more actively.
We have promised that the maritime economy can and will contribute to the Europe 2020 Strategy, and in Limassol, Member States have endorsed our vision of blue growth. Now it's time to put concrete deliverables on the table, in terms of tourism, connectivity, research and so on.
We have to make sure that our regional sea-basin strategies help Member States to exploit the tides and waves of the Atlantic for clean energy; to foster links between coastal and cultural tourism in the Ionian and the Adriatic; and to ensure that economic exploitation of oil and gas resources in the warming Arctic does not harm the fragile environment or the people who live there.
We need to continue working to put in place a new economic model, based in innovation, competitiveness and good use of our resources.
We have been pushing for change because we are persuaded that there is a better future. For our citizens, for our maritime communities, for our fishermen: sustainability pays off."
