Projects
The Fisheries Secretariat is currently involved in a number of focused efforts and projects:
Focus Poland
In 2007 the Fisheries Secretariat (FISH) decided to focus its work on the Baltic Sea region and the critical situation of its two cod stocks. Poland was selected as a key country for this new focus. Since then, the Fisheries Secretariat has been collaborating with a number of Polish NGOs in order to raise public awareness and increase public opinion in the area of professional fishing and its impact on the Baltic Sea environment.
- Eko Unia
- Klub Gaja
- Our Earth Foundation
- Green Federation GAJA
- Friends Society of the Ina and Gowienica Rivers
- Polish Ecological Club
- WWF Poland
- Greenpeace Poland
Collaboration with Finland
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC) is the largest NGO for environmental protection and nature conservation in Finland. It has about 30,000 individual members in over 200 local associations and emphasizes raising public awareness on global environmental issue.
Polish National Angling Directory and Map
The project aims to show the distribution of the leading Anglers Associations and some Fishermen’s Associations on a national scale in Poland. This list will be continually updated as new information and contacts are collected.
Grants available for Polish NGOs
As a part of our work on tackling Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, control and enforcement issues in the Baltic Sea region, we are now offering increasing support to NGOs in Poland. Grants are provided in order to strengthen their capacity to work with fisheries issues, with a focus on minimising IUU fishing, as well as improving control and enforcement.
Green Federation GAJA evaluates the Polish fisheries control system
Poland was identified in 2008 by the European Commission as the foremost offender of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Baltic Sea. The existence of cod, salmon and trout populations were seriously jeopardized by the fishermen’s lack of compliance with fishing quotas, illegal fishing and the existence of a black market for fish.
Adopt a River
“Adopt a River” is a national programme run by Klub Gaja for ecological education with particular focus on rivers and their importance. It is based on local community activities, with particular focus on children and youth, and cooperates with public administration, local governments, NGOs and private companies. Apart from learning about the rivers and the Baltic Sea in general, the school-classes also investigate the areas they have adopted.
Story of the Gold Fish - Raising public awareness through street performances
In the summer of 2008, Klub Gaja presented the story of the Gold Fish, a creative happening which illustrated the problems of overfishing. The event, which can still be viewed on the Internet, was part of a larger project which focuses on the protection of threatened fish species, such as cod and salmon.
Educational exhibition
An educational exhibition showing the environmental problems associated with cod fishing in the Baltic Sea, the management of fish resources and the issue of illegal fishing, toured the coast of Poland in 2008.
Scientific Advice for Fisheries Management at Multiple Scales
Scientific Advice for Fisheries Management At Multiple Scales (SAFMAMS) was a Specific Support Action (SSA) funded by the EU 6th framework programme. The project aimed to draw insights from existing research projects and management processes on the most useful forms of scientific advice for marine environmental management, and then communicate those insights to scientists and decision makers. The primary focus of the project was fisheries management in Northern Europe. SAFMAMS was completed in July 2008.
Illegal fishing in the Baltic Sea region
The scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on the state of Baltic Sea fish stocks highlights that illegal fishing for some species is widespread and unsustainable. Moreover, ICES maintains that such illegal activities severely compromises their ability to produce sound, science-based advice on several commercial fisheries in the region.