Source: FishNewsEU

Swedish economist Jörgen Holmquist, has been elected the new Chairman of EU fisheries watchdogs of the Community Fisheries Control Agency’s Administrative Board.

After top level positions within the Swedish national administration, he has been Director General of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and Director General of Internal Market and Services of the European Commission.

Meanwhile In 2012, the Agency (CFCA) will focus on their “core business” and the potential of Member States to apply the EU fisheries control rules in a uniform and effective manner. Moreover, say they will contribute to a “level playing field” by implementing regional joint deployment plans based on specific and control and inspection programs.

“All in all, these tasks are essential so as to promote sustainable exploitation of marine living resources and Integrated Maritime Policy,” they say.

The Agency will carry on doing the co-ordination work it has been doing in important fisheries such as cod in the Baltic Sea and in the North Sea and Western Waters; bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic, pelagic in Western Waters and NAFO and NEAFC Regulatory Area. In addition, they will “progressively extend” this co-operation to regional joint deployment plans based on multi species, and it will continue to support the fight against IUU fishing.

In 2012, the Agency will also assist the Commission and Member States in the co-operation with third countries within the JDP areas. In addition, the JDP for pelagic fisheries in Western Waters of the North East Atlantic will continue. It will be the first one carried out in a continuous and permanent manner and applied to a multispecies fishery and will serve as a first experience on the concept of regional joint deployment plans based on multispecies. This approach may also offer synergies for saving on public expenditures of Member States concerned by several Member States.

In helping to build the control and inspection capacities of Member States, the Agency will facilitate the elaboration of core curricula for training of national fisheries inspectors, promote the exchange of best practices and develop harmonized standards of inspection. It will also foster Integrated Maritime Surveillance in co-operation with the European Commission, Member States and other EU agencies. Indeed, they add, maritime Surveillance data and data management systems developed for the Agency for its operational requirements will contribute to improve synergies, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

“Now that the 2012 work program of the Agency has been adopted by the Board, it is my commitment to ensure its effective execution. My team and I will work hard in the contribution that the Agency makes to fair competition and ultimately to a sustainable exploitation of marine resources,” said Pascal Savouret, CFCA Executive Director.