The conclusions from the First Regional Cruise Dialogue for the Baltic are now available online
On 19 October in Clonakilty, Ireland, the EU, Norway and the Faroe Islands reached an agreement on the quotas for mackerel fisheries allowed in 2017. This agreement is part of the five-year arrangement for mackerel agreed by the Parties for the period from 2014 to 2018.
On 18-20 October the 3rd Joint Committee under the 2014 – 2018 EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement Protocol met in Rabat. The Parties assessed the second year of implementation of the protocol: both the fishing activity carried out by the EU fleet and the implementation of the EU support to the Moroccan fisheries sector were reviewed.
The Commission has adopted today two Delegated Regulations establishing discard plans for certain demersal fisheries in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea. Discarding is the practice of returning unwanted catches to the sea, either dead or alive, either because they are too small, the fisherman has no quota, or because of certain catch composition rules.
Is the system regulating waste disposal for ships working fine or should it be updated? Is it ok for fishing vessels and small recreational boats to be exempt from certain rules on waste disposal in port?
Encouraged by the European Commission's strategy for growth and jobs in coastal and maritime tourism, the stakeholders representing cruise lines, ports and destinations of the Baltic are engaging to shape the future for cruise tourism in the Baltic sea basin. They are meeting today in the first Regional Dialogue for sustainable jobs and growth in the Baltic Sea basin.
Africa's seas and oceans can offer real prospects for youth employment, training, and sustainable livelihoods. But the sustainable development of Africa's "blue" ocean economy will depend on eradicating criminality at sea, ranging from piracy and illegal fishing to environmental violations. This was the message shared by Commissioner Karmenu Vella, representing the European Union at the African Union Maritime Security Summit in Lomé, Togo, last week.
This month the Commission adopted three Delegated Regulations establishing discard plans for certain demersal fisheries and one for pelagic fishery. Discard plans are a temporary measure facilitating the phase-out of discards and the phase-in of a new region-specific style of fisheries management.
The 23rd annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) met from 10 to 13 October 2016 in Kachsiung, Chinese Taipeh. The EU is pleased by the progress made and welcomes science-based decisions on the permitted catch levels for southern bluefin tuna for 2017 and for 2018-2020, as well as the strengthening of the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the ban on large-scale driftnets. The EU regrets that seabird mitigation measures were not adopted due to a lack of sufficient support.
The EU fisheries ministers have agreed on next year's fishing limits (TACs) for ten fish stocks of the Baltic Sea. These TACs were the first to be set in accordance with the long-term management plan for the Baltic basin that had recently been adopted by the Council and the European Parliament.
Fisheries ministers will meet during the AGRIFISH Council in Luxembourg on 10-11 October to discuss the Baltic fishing opportunities for 2017. Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, will present the Commission's proposal tabled on 29 August, and urge ministers to set fishing opportunities at sustainable levels. Decisive action is needed, in particular for western cod, which is experiencing a perilous decline. The Commission's proposals are based on the scientific advice received and are in line with the EU's Common Fisheries Policy and the recently adopted Baltic multiannual fisheries management plan.
European Maritime Day (EMD) is the annual meeting point for Europe’s maritime community to network, discuss and plan joint action. The EMD 2017 conference and exhibition will be held on 18-19 May 2017 in Poole, UK. In preparation for EMD, an INFO DAY meeting for Maritime Stakeholders will take place in Brussels, on 25 October 2016, at 14:00.
The provisions of the European Border and Coast Guard package, adopted on 14 September, enter into force today. At the same time cooperation on coastguard functions between the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), the European Maritime Security Agency (EMSA) and the European Border and Coastguard Agency (FRONTEX) is already progressing well, thanks to a pilot project launched earlier this year.
The European Commission has proposed fishing opportunities for deep-sea fish stocks in the EU and international waters in the North-East Atlantic for 2017-2018.
Today we celebrate the World Maritime Day. With 50% of the EU population living in coastal regions, the maritime economy is of crucial importance for the EU economy as it represents 5.4 million jobs and generates more than €500 billion per year.
With global competition in tourism fiercer than ever, European coastal regions have to become creative to stay ahead of the game. As Europe joins in the celebrations on this year's World Tourism Day, the EU is therefore deepening its commitment to developing tourism in our coastal and maritime regions.
A meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) in Rome drew to a successful close on 23 September. This meeting was devoted to the implementation of the medium-term strategy for the sustainability of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries: the assembly agreed on timeframe and prioritisation of actions, funding and quantifiable goals.
The European Commission's yearly proposal for the 2017 fishing opportunities has now been supplemented with figures for the Baltic Sea cod stocks, an item that did not feature in previous versions of this year's Commission's proposals.
Commissioner Karmenu Vella participated in the 3rd Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference in Dublin, following the successful editions in Porto and Brest last year. The Commissioner reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen cooperation in the Atlantic. He expressed his appreciation for the progress made by the maritime stakeholders in the region. He also chaired the first edition of the "Atlantic project awards", rewarding the five most innovative and successful projects.
The 38th annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) took place from 19 to 23 September 2016 in Varadero, Cuba. NAFO Contracting Parties decided on total allowable catches (TACs) for a number of stocks. Under the leadership of the EU and Canada, NAFO also set the course for improved fisheries management in the high seas.
