News

EFCA Annual Report for 2019 adopted by the agency’s Administrative Board

29/04/2020

EFCA Administrative Board adopted the agency’s Annual Report for 2019. The agency supported the Member States and the European Commission in the implementation of the Control regime of the Common Fisheries Policy through the coordination of the Joint Deployments Plans, the development of specific projects related to assessment of compliance with the landing obligation (LO) and new technologies such as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) and the implementation of capacity building operations in the framework of the international dimension.

EFCA´s chartered patrol vessel Lundy Sentinel has provided assistance to an Estonian fishing vessel in NAFO Regulatory Area

26/04/2020

Yesterday, at 13:14 GMT, a Portuguese trawler relayed a MAYDAY message to Lundy Sentinel reporting that an Estonian trawler required immediate assistance due to a fire on-board. Lundy Sentinel´s captain responded immediately to the assistance request and proceeded to the Estonian fishing vessel position. Weather conditions on the scene of action were wind 18 knots, swell 3 meters with a thick fog.

The Sub-regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC), the EFCA and France fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU)

07/02/2020

"Operation" Sardinelle ", a fishery surveillance operation in which Member States of the Sub-regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) cooperated to detect Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing, took place from 23 to 26 January 2020.

RPAS surveillance flights being used to enhance fisheries control

05/02/2020

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has been closely cooperating with the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) to support enhanced fisheries control by providing additional surveillance capacity from a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS). EMSA has made available a quadcopter for flights taking off from EFCA’s chartered offshore patrol vessel, the Lundy Sentinel, and operating over areas of interest in the Mediterranean Sea, western waters of the North-East Atlantic Ocean, North Sea and Baltic Sea.

Evaluation suggests non-compliance with the Landing Obligations in certain fisheries in the North Sea and North Western Waters

30/01/2020

The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) in cooperation with the Member States Control Expert Groups (CEGs) has carried out an evaluation of compliance with the Landing Obligation (LO) in selected fisheries in the North Sea and North Western Waters. The evaluation was performed over the period 2015-2017 for mackerel fisheries and over 2016-2017 for North Sea fisheries targeting cod, plaice and sole and for North-western waters fisheries targeting haddock, hake and whiting.

EFCA participated to the European Coast Guard Functions Forum (ECGFF) plenary conference in Venice

20/11/2019

More than 90 delegates from the European Coast Guard Functions Forum (ECGFF) gathered in Venice for the plenary sessions of the Heads of Coast Guard Functions Organisations.

EFCA adopts its Work Programme for 2020 and multiannual strategic priorities with a renewed approach to cooperation

23/10/2019

The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) Administrative Board, in its 33th meeting held on 22 October in Vigo (Spain), has adopted the Single Programming Document (SPD) for 2020-2024, comprising of a complete overview of the resources allocated to the Agency in accordance with planned objectives, indicators and deliverables for the coming years. The budget for 2020 is of EUR 17.6 million, subject to the adoption of the European Union (EU) budgetary authority.

Enhanced cooperation between European fisheries and enforcement authorities as result of the Joint Action Day

15/10/2019

European law enforcement and fisheries control authorities have enhanced their cooperation in combating illegal fishing activities following the organisation of a Joint Action Day (JAD) on 25 September, in the framework of EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats). The leader of this particular JAD was Portugal with EFCA as co-leader, teaming up EU Agencies (Europol, Eurojust and Frontex) and Member States Cyprus, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Italy, Portugal, Spain, law enforcement and fisheries control communities.

Sub-Regional training under PESCAO project for Operators of FMC (Fisheries Monitoring Centre) of Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau

04/10/2019

From 2 to 4 October 2019 in Praia, Cape Verde, officials from the Fisheries Monitoring Centres (FMCs) of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau have participated in a workshop which overall objective was to strengthen the knowledge and usability of vessel monitoring systems (VMS), Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and other control technologies such as satellite imagery.

Abuja hosts a PESCAO training session on fisheries control and inspection techniques for Nigerian inspectors