BSRAC Newsletter week 2 2009

Dear BSRAC members and observers,

A very Happy New Year! Here’s the news we’ve gathered together so far this year. Come with suggestions if we can make this newsletter better.  

Baltic 2020: Best practice in fisheries assessment 10^th-11^th January Stockholm

As mentioned before, Baltic 2020 has started a programme of studies and workshops. The aim is to produce a report with concrete fisheries management suggestions to be used in connection with the revision of the CFP. The final report will be presented in April 2009. It starts with a workshop in Stockholm on 10^th - 11^th January based on a document called Rapid Assessment. This describes the current situation in the CFP and identifies four elements of fisheries management which can benefit from experience from successful fisheries management elsewhere. Sally will represent the BSRAC. The document is attached.   (./.)

 

Our Chairman is in Copenhagen 12^th –13^th January

With Reine we’ll talk about coming BSRAC meetings and look at the work programme for the new RAC year 2009-2010. On the Monday he will have lunch with Ole Poulsen, senior fisheries official from the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. Ole is a familiar face to the Baltic.

 

RESTOCK 14^th January Copenhagen 

Two researchers (Julia Lynne Overton and Josianne Spøttrup) from the Technical University of Denmark, DTU Aqua, will visit the BSRAC to talk about their research project RESTOCK. The aim of RESTOCK is to see whether it is possible to help the Baltic cod stock by raising and releasing cod larvae. They have applied for funding from the European Fisheries Fund for a third phase RESTOCK III. Michael Andersen will take part. If you want information on this project, please contact the secretariat.

 

gcPLUS Workshop: 15^th – 16^th January Gdynia

What is gcPLUS? These are the people at Götheborg University who are studying “Facilitating Governance of Baltic Sea Fisheries by Improving Communication among Stakeholders”. Together with Reine Johansson (BSRAC Chair), Ryszard Malik (BSRAC Pelagic WG Chair) and Ewa Milewska (WWF), they will hold a workshop on 15th - 16th January 2009 in Gdynia at the Sea Fisheries Institute. The workshop will deal with consensus building and facilitated dialogue for conflict resolution in fisheries management. The CFP principles, sustainability and precautionary principles as conflict areas will be discussed. Another subject will be the reform of the CFP. Steve Karnicki from the Institute will present that. The members of the Association of Fishermen’s Sea-PO Poland will take part. The programme is attached and will be put on our website. (./)

If you want to take part, please contact Ryszard at: malik@seatrade.pl

Benchmarking workshop at ICES 16^th – 23^rd January Copenhagen

This will be dealing with roundfish (cod and whiting). Michael Andersen will represent the BSRAC for cod in the Baltic. We hope Alex Olsen (AIPCECEP) can take part.

 

ICES-RAC contact meeting (MIRAC) on 26^th and 27^th January.

Michael Andersen and Sally will represent the BSRAC, but a total of four participants from each RAC can attend. So please contact the secretariat as soon as possible if you want to take part, so we can book economy travel and accommodation for you.

 

Renewal of BSRAC agreement 2009-2010: your commitments please!

We have received commitment forms from about half of our members, and payment from almost as many. We send a big thank you to you for your support. Today (9^th January) is the deadline for sending in your commitment forms. Please support us so we can send our application to the Commission in good time.

 

The BSRAC in Polish

Did you know that you can access the BSRAC in Polish? Check it out here:

www.bsrac.pl

 

The BSRAC Workshop on Spatial Planning 19^th -20^th February Tallinn

We are awaiting final confirmation from a couple of speakers. A final programme will be sent out at the start of next week. Deadline for hotel bookings is Friday 30^th January. Register with the secretariat by Friday 6^th February.

 

EU Maritime Spatial Planning: Kick-off Conference

The Commission has invited stakeholders to this conference on 26^th February in Brussels. Hugo Andersson, NSRAC Chair, and Reine Johansson, BSRAC Chair are invited to talk about Opportunities for fisheries through MSP. We have recommended Ottilia Thoreson, (WWF) and Peter Breckling, (Union of German Cutter Fishery), who form the steering group of our own Workshop on Spatial Planning, to represent the BSRAC at this conference.

 

The Pelagic RAC

The Pelagic RAC holds it Working Group I and II meeting in Leiden, Netherlands on 29^th January. Ryszard Malik, BSRAC Pelagic WG Chair, will represent the BSRAC. We have the draft agenda if you are interested.

 

The European Fisheries Fund 2007-2013

From the Commission we’ve received folders in all the Baltic languages explaining the EFF. There is a booklet which introduces the EFF and explains what activities are eligible for funding from the EFF. There is a set of guidance notes on how to apply for funding, and a copy of the two regulations on the EFF. They are meant for you. We’ll bring them with us to Tallinn.

 

Shipwrecks in the Baltic

Nord Stream has sent us a book which is the result of a five-year project searching for wrecks at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The unique conditions in the Baltic have created an environment which has preserved many of the vessels lying in the Baltic. It has been published in co-operation with Nord Stream.

 

The EU’s Control Proposal

We’ve invited a Commission representative to come and present the proposal at the next meeting of the ExCom in Tallinn. We await confirmation.

 

The Czech Presidency: First half of 2009

There are four areas of work under the Presidency:

• The Control Proposal: the aim is to consolidate and simplify existing rules and to develop a new harmonised approach to inspection and control. The Czech presidency expects to deal with the proposal in detail in spring, so it can be adopted under the Swedish Presidency.
• Aquaculture will have high priority. The aim will be to achieve some council or presidency conclusions.
• The Commission is expected to put forward its green paper on the reform of the CFP and then to start consultations with Member States and stakeholders. The actual proposal is not expected until the start of 2011.
• Discussions on the proposal on technical measures from June 2008 will continue (the Baltic Sea is not included in this proposal).

 

The EU has announced a new call for studies/tenders.

See the link here:

http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/tenders_proposals/mare_2008_11_en.htm

"Studies and pilot projects for carrying out the common fisheries policy"

Lot 1: Fishing capacity and fishing effort indicators and their relation with

effective fishing effort and fishing mortality

Lot 2: Pilot projects to estimate potential and actual escapement of silver eel

Lot 3: Study on the remuneration of spawning stock biomass

Lot 4: Understanding size developments of exploited stocks and ecosystems in

the Mediterranean by using private fishermen's "tally-books" and historical information.

 

The deadline for submitting tenders is 20^th March 2009. Please inform your research institutes.