BSC WG/Expert Panel Fisheries

Chair: Mr Kjell Nybacka (FIN)

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Annual Report 2009-2010

Activities

The strategy for the Baltic Sea region was finally adopted in October. In June iBSG (Informal Baltic Sea Group) was arranging a seminar in Brussels on the future contents of the strategy. Kjell Nybacka as a member of the management committee of iBSG followed the seminar closely. It had about 200 participants.

During the Open Days in October Kjell Nybacka, representing West Finland Alliance, together with the Baltic Sea Group, organised 6 seminars and meetings over three days, dealing with the implementation of the Baltic Sea regional strategy. During these events we had about 650 people present and were given the possibility to discuss the implementation of the strategy in depth.

All seminars were arranged in cooperation between the regional offices’ network and DG Regio and were thereby based on a broad regional perspective at the same time including the perspective of fisheries.

Kjell Nybacka is also Rapporteur in the WG Salmon of the Baltic Sea RAC, where much work was devoted to an additional paper from the working group to DG Mare which was preparing a recommendation for a new Salmon Action Plan. The WG held a two-day meeting in Copenhagen last spring for this purpose. The WG delivered a common paper to the Commission. The WG also participated in a stakeholder meeting in Brussels in April. Kjell Nybacka made the presentation of the WG paper on this occasion.

As a member of the Baltic Sea RAC, Mr Nybacka also participated in a meeting with DG Mare early in December.

The Green Paper on a future Common Fisheries Policy activated the group which held several meetings on the subject (virtual meetings, and face-to-face meetings amongst others in Gothenburg during the General Assembly and in Brussels in the late autumn). The group could finally agree on a unanimous paper in late 2009.

Small-scale and near-shore fisheries continued to be an issue of particular interest in the Fisheries Intercom Group where there was a unanimous agreement on the similarity of the problems in the different regions represented.

The group is indirectly represented in the Baltic Sea Commission RAC via Kjell Nybacka who is appointed Rapporteur in the salmon working group. It would however be helpful if Baltic Sea Fisheries WG could have a clear mandate by the BSC to participate as representatives and observers or members.

During the year, focus was on the reform of the CFP and the Salmon Action Plan. The importance of the reform and of the participation in the process for the future fisheries as well as coastal development in the Baltic Sea still calls for extra efforts.

We encourage, as every year, other member regions to take a more active part in the Fisheries working group.