Romania hosts high level fisheries and aquaculture conference
The high-level conference Towards Enhanced Cooperation on Black Sea Fisheries and Aquaculture consisted of an expert session with several panels, one of which was on aquaculture. It included experts from many of the countries in the region as well as the GFCM, European Commission and Eurofish, and the discussions established that sustainable development and growth depends on identifying suitable areas for farming fish and seafood, more research and better dissemination of knowledge on markets and trends, less red tape, and greater use of technology.
The event also considered the main challenges and future strategies for the Black Sea fisheries and aquaculture by high-level representatives from the riparian countries, international, and regional organisations. All the riparian countries, as well as other important actors in the region, recognised that regional cooperation and synergies were essential for solving the many challenges in the sector including developing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, combating illegal practices, and mitigating threats to the marine environment.
Achim Irimescu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Romania, said that "it was vital to strike a balance between immediate economic interests and the protection of marine fisheries resources in the Black Sea," while Nicolae Dimulescu, President of the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Romania commented that the road was being paved towards "a clean sea for happy fishers."
A delegation from Eurofish, Aina Afanasjeva, Director, Anca Sfetcovici, Head of Project Unit, and Ekaterina Tribilustova, Market Specialist, met with representatives of the Romanian National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (ANPA): Nicolae Dimulescu, President, Ancuta Kazimirovicz, Public Manager, and Constantin Stroe, Counsellor. The meeting was held in connection with the High-level Conference towards Enhanced Cooperation on Black Sea Fisheries and Aquaculture, held in Bucharest on 24-25 October 2016.
Production in the Lithuanian aquaculture sector comes primarily from pond aquaculture. The sales of many domestic fish species have increased due to the growing demand from Lithuanian consumers. In 2015, the volume of traded aquaculture products reached 4,070 tonnes, an increase of 22% compared to the year before. Common carp is the predominant farmed species on the market, although pike, tench, rainbow trout, bream, sturgeon and other species are also cultivated.
Levan Davitashvili, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Georgia, met with Aina Afanasjeva, Director of EUROFISH International Organisation, in August 2016. At the meeting both sides expressed a willingness to strengthen cooperation in the area of aquaculture and fisheries.
As of January 2016 a new ministry, the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, is responsible for the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Poland. Aina Afanasjeva, Director of Eurofish, and Behnan Thomas, editor of Eurofish Magazine, met Janusz Wrona, the newly appointed director of the Fisheries Department and his team to discuss the most recent developments and future plans for the Polish fisheries and aquaculture sector. Among the issues discussed were the role and importance of the Baltfish regional forum which Poland led from July 2015 to June 2016. The insufficient availability of cod in the Baltic sea was one of the issues that Poland prioritised during its presidency and will continue to focus on in the months to come. The sustainability of fisheries in the Baltic is a priority for Poland, but the director noted that increasing costs for certification were making it difficult for fishing companies to invest in having fisheries assessed to sustainable standards.