Javier Garat was unanimously reelected president of Europêche by the European Fisheries Association on 18 December.
Also reelected were Europêche vice-presidents Gerard van Balsfoort and Marc Ghiglia. Van Balsfoort is the president of the Pelagic Freezer-Trawlers Association and the official Dutch representative to Europêche, while Ghiglia is the chief executive of the United Fishing-Vessel Owners’ Organisation of France (UAPF) and Europêche’s French representative.
All three were elected to two-year terms to lead the trade organization, which represents the national organizations of fishing companies from six European Union member countries: Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and Latvia. The group focuses on defending the interests of fishermen and fishing-vessel owners before the European institutions such as the European Commission.
"I am grateful for the trust that the members of Europêche have placed in me and, above all, for the recognition of the work done in recent years in defense of a sustainable fishing activity, both from an environmental and a socio-economic perspective,” Garat said. “Fortunately, I have a great team in Europêche led by Daniel Voces, managing director of the organization.”
Also at its December meeting, the board of Europêche agreed to prioritize improving fish stocks, facilitating compliance with the objectives of the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy, and furthering its collaboration with the scientific community to continue advancing the application of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management.
In a press release, Garat said Europêche will continue to work on the practical application of the discard ban, on the adoption of reasonable quotas based on scientific recommendations, and on “the best possible way forward for the proposed regulations on multiannual management plans,” including the Mediterranean, the revision of the Fisheries Control System and Technical Measures, and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Europêche will also focus its attention on the E.U.’s Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements with third countries and the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).
“The European fishing fleet has made in recent years remarkable efforts and investments to comply with the demands of European and international policies to champion progress towards sustainable and responsible fisheries. It is essential that Europe and international organizations, especially the RFMOs, jointly push for all fleets to achieve the highest levels of sustainability in all its dimensions,” Garat said.
Safeguarding the interests of the European fisheries sector under the current climate of uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the E.U.’s landing obligation and Brexit is also a primary objective for Europêche, which will maintain its commitment to fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and to the promotion of good governance of the oceans on an international scale, Garat said.
Photo courtesy of Cepesca
