The Thirty-second Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) was held in Rome, Italy, from 11 to 15 July 2016. This is a report of the Session reflecting the discussions which took place and containing all recommendations and decisions taken by the Committee. A synopsis of the outcome of the Session is presented in the abstract and all supplementary information is included in the appendixes.
The Thirty-first Session of the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC) was held in Killarney, Ireland, from 22 to 24 June 2022. The Session presented and discussed the results achieved by EIFAAC, its Management Committee and its Technical and Scientific Committee since the Thirtieth Session of EIFAAC in 2019. The Commission adopted four Resolutions and one Recommendation: 1) On EIFAAC Resolutions, Recommendations and Advisory Notes; 2) On the Code of Conduct for Recreational Fisheries and Invasive Alien Species; 3) On the protection of vulnerable and endangered fish species from unsustainable predation from cormorants; 4) On small-scale fisheries and aquaculture; and 5) On the Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries. The Commission also reviewed the endorsed the recommendations from the well-attended EIFAAC International Symposium on “Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture - Advances in Technology, Stock Assessment and Citizen Science in an Era of Climate Change”, held in Killarney, Ireland, from 20 to 21 June 2022. Finally, the Commission reviewed and endorsed the updated EIFAAC Rules of Procedure and the work programme 2022–2024 and elected new officers. The Session and Symposium received generous support from the host organizations, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Irish Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
The forty-first session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean as well as the eighth session of the Committee on Administration and Finance was attended by delegates of 22 contracting parties, as well as of three cooperating non-contracting parties and one non-contracting party. Representatives from 20 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and its regional projects as well as the Bureaus of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies, were also in attendance.
Thirty-first report of Session 2005-06 : Documents considered by the Committee on 14 June 2006, including: A citizens agenda - delivering results for Europe; Preliminary draft budget 2007, report, together with formal Minutes
Forty-first report of Session 2010-12 : Documents considered by the Committee on 14 September 2011, including the following recommendations for debate, Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy; Financial management: prevention of Fraud
The thirty-first session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) reviewed the intersessional activities of its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and its Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ) and held the first session of its Compliance Committee. Based on advice from SAC and proposals by Members, the GFCM adopted: three Resolutions, including two related to the GFCM statistical framework and one on the use of the 40 mm square mesh size in the codend of trawlnets. The Commission also adopted binding recommendations on fisheries management, including diamond mesh size of trawlnets and the Pelagos Sanctuary for the conservation of marine mammals, as well as three Recommendations emanating from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) on bluefin tuna and on transshipment at sea. The GFCM strengthened the mandate of CAQ and adopted a new set up and modus operandi for the subsidiary bodies of the Committee. The Commission decided to strengthen its activities in the Black Sea. It acknowledged the importance of the five regional projects supporting the activities of the Committees and endorsed a series of amendments to its Rules of Procedure. The Commission agreed on its programme of work and adopted its budget for 2007, including the establishment within the Secretariat of a post of Aquaculture specialist.
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries (SAC) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) held its twentieth session in Tangiers, Morocco, from 26 to 29 June 2018. The session was attended by delegates from 14 Mediterranean contracting parties, seven observers, representatives of the FAO regional projects, the GFCM Secretariat and invited experts. The Committee reviewed the work carried out during the 2017–2018 intersession, including within its four subregional subsidiary bodies (Subregional Committee for the Adriatic Sea, Subregional Committee for the Central Mediterranean, Subregional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean and Subregional Committee for the Western Mediterranean) which all met during the intersession. In relation to the mid-term strategy (2017–2020) towards the sustainability of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, the Committee welcomed the progress in multiple priority activities as well as cooperation with partners. Issues in relation to fishery data quality, data collection needs and methodologies, estimation and quantification of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and formulation of advice on the status of fisheries were discussed. Recalling the need to improve knowledge on small-scale fisheries in the the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the work underway to test a characterization matrix as well as the forthcoming Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea were tackled. Furthermore, the Committee formulated advice on the following aspects: i) overall status of Mediterranean stocks; ii) management of European eel; iii) management of deep-sea fisheries and identification of VMEs and iv) roadmap towards a network of essential fish habitats. In line with the subregional approach and based on the conclusions of the four subregional committees, the SAC also provided specific advice for each subregion. In particular, attention was paid to: i) blackspot seabream in the western Mediterranean; ii) demersal fisheries in the Strait of Sicily; iii) small pelagic fisheries in the Adriatic Sea; iv) demersal fisheries in the Adriatic Sea, including the monitoring of the Jabuka/Pomo Pit fisheries restricted area; and v) deep-water red shrimps in the central and eastern Mediterranean. In addition, the Committee also endorsed un updated table of priority species by subregion. Finally, the Committee agreed upon its work plan for 2018–2020 and elected its new Bureau.
Whilst conjecture remains regarding the quantity of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) entering the ocean, ALDFG is recognised as the most harmful form of marine plastic litter irrespective of whether it has been intentionally discarded or accidentally lost – harming vulnerable species, damaging fragile habitats as well as creating navigational hazards and depleting fish stocks. In turn, if left unmanaged, ALDFG can threaten food security, livelihoods and human health. In order to determine good practices to manage and ultimately prevent ALDFG, it is essential to understand the context of the current situation including sources, drivers and impacts of ALDFG. Here, we provide an overview of the status of the fishing related marine plastic litter problem, specifically ALDFG or “ghost gear”, and situate its impact and contribution to the broader sea-based marine plastic litter issue. A key component to successfully manage ALDFG, is heeding lessons learned from existing projects that are in place around the world, acknowledging that management strategies vary significantly across geographies and their application locally must be considered with local circumstances/needs. Using the good practice categories identified by the Global Ghost Gear Initiative’s Best Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear for Capture Fisheries, ten case studies are presented exemplifying key good practices for the prevention, mitigation and remediation of ALDFG. Based on the good practices identified from the case studies included and the broader global context of the ALDFG problem, this report provide recommendations of mechanisms that can be implemented by GloLitter participating countries and others aiming to prevent, mitigate and remediate fishing related marine plastic litter.
In a time of rapid climatic, industrial and technological changes in molluscan shellfish producing and exporting regions, it is of the utmost importance to keep a keen eye on developing trends. This collection of recent research in molluscan shellfish safety, risk assessment, risk management, regulation and analytical methods presented at the 8th ICMSS (International Conference on Molluscan Shellfish Safety) offers valuable insights in the latest scientific findings. Dans le contexte actuel de changements climatiques, industriels et technologiques rapides dans les régions qui produisent et qui exportent des mollusques, il est essentiel de rester à l’affût des nouvelles tendances. Ce recueil des récents travaux de recherche dans les domaines de la salubrité des mollusques, des évaluations des risques, de la gestion des risques, de la réglementation et des méthodes d’analyse présentés lors de la 8e Conférence internationale sur la salubrité des coquillages (ICMSS) vous aidera à le faire.
