On 27 July in Gdynia, during a WWF conference “New Common Fisheries Policy – challenges and chances”, Polish members of OCEAN2012 handed over a commemorative photobook based on the 2011 European Fish Week (EFW) to Leszek Dybiec, the Political Adviser to the Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
On 27 July a WWF meeting “New Common Fisheries Policy – challenges and chances”, under the patronage of the Polish EU Presidency, explored the proposed measures in the CFP reform package and provided a forum for about 70 stakeholders— NGOs, fishermen, scientists, fish processors— to express their opinions on the current reform proposals.
Only a few weeks after the Common Fisheries Policy reform proposals package was released by the European Commission (July 13), which supports the continued efforts to fight Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) commercial fishing activities, it was revealed that Polish fisheries inspectors and coast guard in Słupsk found half a ton of illegally caught cod on a vessel from Kołobrzeg.
Today, the EU Fisheries Ministers will have their first debate on the reform package published last week. Ministers will also hear about the Polish Presidency priorities for fisheries and agriculture.
After the Commission’s publication of reform proposals yesterday, rapporteurs were appointed in the European Parliament through an unusal move, leaving three party groups with all the reports and a greater influence over the results.
The Commission’s first package on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) includes some significant improvements, but is not the radical proposal that was expected. Most of the positive changes relate to the conservation aspects of the policy.
At noon today, the Commission finally published its first proposal on reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy.
Tomorrow, July 13, Commissioner Damanaki will announce the publication of the first package of proposals for reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Hugh’s FISH FIGHT hopes to see the interactive counter turning fast to ‘dazzle the media’ and possibly even exceed 1 million followers during the announcement of the proposals for the new CFP.
On 29 June, the European Commission published its long-term budget proposal – a Multi-annual financial framework for 2014–2020. A new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) will replace the current financial instruments, including all EU funding for fisheries except access arrangements with third countries.
As a desperate measure to protect the much threatened European eel, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) is now fund raising in order to buy up eel certificates from eel fishermen.