The Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA) has just started up a joint deployment plan (JDP) for pelagic fisheries in Western Waters of the North East Atlantic. This JDP gives effect to the European Commission specific control and inspection programme for these fisheries exploiting herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, anchovy and blue whiting.
The CFCA will coordinate the deployment of control and inspection means of the Member States, the organisation of mixed teams of inspectors of different nationalities and the exchange of information in real time of Member States competent authorities. The sharing of information will allow following a common inspection strategy according to the risk management. The Member States participating in the plan are Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Spain, France, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and United Kingdom.
This is the fifth joint deployment plan of the CFCA and already includes the elements that were the result of the reflection and evaluation of the JDPs that has been carried out jointly by the CFCA, the Member States and the European Commission during the annual JDP seminars held in Vigo. As a matter of fact, the plan will be carried out in a continuous and permanent manner and applied to a multispecies fishery. In addition, synergies will be looked into with other joint deployment plans in pursuit of a better cost-efficiency.
“Just starting my responsibilities at the helm of the CFCA, it is with great enthusiasm and dedication that I embrace this new plan for this important fishery where multiple operators from different nationalities are working. Our firm aim is to ensure that all fishermen are treated on equal footing and to foster transparency and cooperation in the control and inspection activities between Member States“said Pascal Savouret, CFCA Executive Director.