Brussels, 12/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 12 March, Joe Borg, the European commissioner for fisheries, welcomed the results of last week's meeting of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of the FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation), which has adopted its priorities for the next two years. “The priorities adopted by the COFI for the next two years are very much in line with our own international agenda”, said Mr Borg, who particularly welcomed the measures to step up the fight against illegal fishing and protect the deep-sea marine environment.
Over the next two years, the FAO has decided to highlight the following fields of action: - to create an effective international instrument for state port controls; - to create a register to make it easier to monitor vessels involved in illegal fishing activities; - to continue work on ways of using the satellite monitoring system to eradicate illegal fishing activities; - to agree on a specific timetable to implement the recent resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations on bottom trawling at deep sea (EUROPE 9277). Mr Borg called upon all those who took part in the FAO meeting to “act” in these two major areas (the fight against illegal fishing and the protection of marine resources). The COFI will meet again in 2009 to assess progress made. The European Commission, for its part, is soon to present proposals on restrictions to be brought in for bottom trawling. (lc)