EU Parliament To Discuss Optimal Management Of FADs ff
29 January 2013
Belgium
Today the European Parliament will have a public hearing on “How to optimize the management of FADs within tuna fisheriesâ€.
EUROTHON, the association representing the EU tuna industry, will be attending the meeting along with several Spanish tuna organizations. The Spanish National Association of Manufacturers of Canned Fish and Seafood (Anfaco), will be represented by its secretary-general, Juan Vieites, while Juan Pablo RodrÃguez Sahagún will be there for Anabac, and Julio Moron for Opagac. Afterwards there will be a working meeting planned between the parties with Gabriel Mato, the Chairman of the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament in which they will also defend the interests of the Spanish tuna industry and community.
EUROTHON intends to inform the members of the European Parliament on the proper management of FADs by community. The view of EUROTHON is that proper FAD management plays a key role in the sustainability of tuna resources and the future viability of the tuna industry as a whole. It should aim at minimizing by-catch and requires good practices to be developed by the entire world fleet.
In the working meeting with Mato, the European tuna lobby groups will again emphasize the great importance of the EU tuna industry and will analyze the current situation on the different EU tuna trade negotiations with third countries. This concerns both bilateral and regional negotiations of the EU with third countries as well as with the WTO.
EUROTHON announced to be actively defending the need for the EU to consider a look at the maintenance of employment generated by the tuna sector, and it wants to ensure that negotiations do not involve granting trade benefits to third countries that will undermine the principle of giving preference to economic support to the community. In the current weak economic situation of some member states, and specifically of regions depending on coastal fisheries, protection of EU interests should be given priority according to EUROTHON. The lobby group also insists that GSP + and ACP community investments, which have fostered by a legal framework designed by the EU itself, must be preserved.
