Community Fisheries Control Agency adopts an ambitious work programme for 2010 with special emphasis on the fight against IUU fishing
The CFCA has adopted its work programme and budget for 2010, which places special priority to the fight against Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. The work programme caters for the assistance to Member States and the Commission in the implementation of the regulation to prevent IUU fishing throughout the Community in a uniform manner. Moreover, operational coordination of control, inspection and surveillance activities will continue in the already consolidated Joint Deployment Plans (cod in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Western Waters, bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic and NAFO and NEAFC RA). The efforts of the CFCA to enhance the capacities of Member States to apply the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy in a uniform and effective manner will be increased in particular in the areas of training of national fisheries inspectors and pooling of data and information.
After many years of work to develop effective measures on international level, within the FAO and RFMO's, and at European level, by the Commission, to which I have personally actively contributed, at the first of January 2010, the Council Regulation establishing the Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing enters into force. For this reason, in my capacity as Chairman of the Administrative Board of the CFCA, it is a great pleasure to announce that the fight against IUU fisheries, as an overriding priority, is at the core front of the CFCA Work Programme 2010, ? said Serge Beslier, Chairman of the CFCA Administrative Board.
The European Union is well prepared to fight against Illegal Unregulated and Unreported fishing. As from the start of 2010, the CFCA will closely work together with Member States and the Commission in the application of the regulation against Illegal Unregulated and Unreported fisheries (IUU). This piece of legislation will reassure consumers that the fish they eat has been caught legally and that its consumption does not damage marine environment. For the CFCA, the IUU regulation is its main political priority this year.
Before the upcoming reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2012, the enhanced effective and uniform application by Member States of the new regulatory framework should mark a clear shift towards a culture of compliance at Community level. The CFCA Work Programme has been elaborated having this objective in mind.
The 2010 Work Programme provides for:
- The support to the implementation of the Regulation to prevent the Illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing that will imply important efforts from the CFCA, Member States and the Commission. The priority is recognised inside the Work Programme through a substantial increase in the budget (multiplied by four) and in the dedicated staff that grows from one to five people. Additional needs will be evaluated during next year.
- The consolidation of the joint deployment plans operating in fisheries where fleets from several Member States exploit shared stocks, particularly those which are outside a safe biological limit and subject to a Specific Control and Inspection Programme adopted by the Commission or to an International Control Scheme (cod in the North Sea and Western Waters, cod in the Baltic Sea and bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean and the Eastern Atlantic, NAFO and NEAFC R.A).
- Capacity building assists Member States and the Commission in applying the rules of the Common Fisheries policy in a uniform and effective manner, in particular, through the coordination of training of inspectors and facilitating the pooling of data and information relevant to fisheries control, inspection and surveillance.
The activities listed in the annual Work Programme of the CFCA are undertaken on a multiannual basis and will have a short/mid term impact on compliance levels.
"Being on cruising speed one year after its relocation to Vigo, the CFCA is ready to take up its duties in assisting Member States and the Commission in the fight against IUU activities. Indeed, we will work hard to fight against illegal fishing in the framework of the new regulation that authorises Member States to ban illegal catches from the Community market. Illegal catches do not only undermine sustainable exploitation of living marine resources but also cause unfair competition to fleets operating in compliance with the applicable conservation measures," said Harm Koster, Executive Director of the CFCA.