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.
Fish farmed in the European Union is among the best in the world: a tasty, high-quality dish produced according to the world's strictest health and environmental standards. European aquaculture is also a sector with vast growth potential: today, 57% of the farmed fish consumed in the EU is imported.
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.
The eighth plenary session of the European Coast Guard Function Forum (ECGFF) is taking place in London on 20-22 September.
Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is in Washington DC at the 2016 Our Ocean Conference.
The first Blue Economy Business & Science Forum is currently taking place at the International Maritime Museum of Hamburg (12 and 13 September 2016). This initiative by the European Commission aims at improving cooperation between the public and private sectors so that research results can find their way to the market more quickly.
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.
Registration is still open for the 3rd Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference, to be held in Dublin, on 27 September 2016.
The Baltic Sea is a hotbed for innovation and competitiveness, the Baltic Sea Region also features a strong tradition of transnational cooperation for working with and for a healthy Baltic Sea. In order to harness these unique characteristics, the Commission is now taking the development of the Baltic Blue Growth Agenda one step further.
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.
