Aller au contenu principal

Delivering compliance: Assessment of the CFCA Annual Report for 2008

The CFCA has adopted its annual report for 2008 at the meeting of the Administrative Board held on the 19th of March. The annual report includes a first evaluation of the intense coordination activity the CFCA has developed in 2008 while relocating to Vigo and doubling its staff. Moreover, the first draft for the work programme of 2010 and the preliminary draft budget were discussed at the meeting.

«With this new chairmanship, the start-up phase has finished, the first results are there, for the eyes of everyone to see. It is now time to work hard and further building capacities in the Member States to apply in a uniform and effective manner the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy» said Serge Beslier, Chairman of the CFCA Administrative Board. «The new control regulatory framework will be essential in deterring fraud and ensuring sustainable fishing, and the Agency will be a main character in ensuring more uniform and effective enforcement by pooling EU and national fisheries control means, monitoring resources and coordinating enforcement activities.»

With limited resources of its own and substantial pooled national resources, the CFCA has carried out a very intense coordination activity that has resulted, with the final figures amounting to 3636 coordinated inspections, including 731 days of joint control campaigns, 181 coordinated aerial surveillance flights and 2597 coordinated sightings in total. All in all, four joint deployment plans have been executed in relation to the cod stocks in the North Sea and adjacent waters, the Baltic Sea, the bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean and the Eastern Atlantic and the regulated stocks in the NAFO R.A, these two last ones were executed for the first time. The JDP for the NEAFC RA was adopted for the first time and preparations started of the activities to be undertaken to combat IUU fishing in 2009, after the adoption of Council Regulation (EC) NO 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008.

Overall, the first evaluation of the results from the implementation of the JDPs show a series of positive elements, even though the methodologies, procedures and performance indicators to properly undertake an annual assessment of the effectiveness of each JDP have not yet been adopted. The JDP concept has enhanced cooperation between Member States, not only at sea and in ports, but also at the managerial level. In addition, the CFCA has extensively contributed towards an improved level of uniformity of control and inspection standards through training sessions and the sharing of common procedures. Finally, when it comes to effectiveness it can be said that the increased number of inspection means available during the campaigns and the cross-border operations has increased the probability of inspection and included an additional surprise moment when inspecting in areas of dense fishing activity.

 

Please find the complete Annual Report for 2008 here.