CFCA sets up Vigo office

The CFCA is said to be a cornerstone of the EU's efforts to ensure sustainability in Europe's fisheries sector. Operational since the beginning of 2007, the Agency organises coordination and cooperation between national control and inspection activities, to ensure that the rules of the EU's common fisheries policy are respected and applied effectively.

Commissioner Joe Borg commented: "The Agency's relocation to Vigo marks its coming of age as a vital link in the chain of control and enforcement under the common fisheries policy. The Agency's Joint Deployment Plans have proven their worth in preventing the overfishing of vulnerable stocks, whether it be cod in the Baltic or bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean. As we prepare for a major overhaul of the control mechanisms of the common fisheries policy, the Commission looks forward to building on its strong working relationship with the Agency, and we will actively support any initiative which would make it even more effective."

The activities undertaken by the Agency so far include three major coordination tasks, which were launched in 2007 and have continued into this year:

• Coordination of EU control, inspection and surveillance activities in the regulatory area of the North Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO).

• A Joint Deployment Plan to combat overfishing and save endangered cod stocks in the North Sea by pooling resources (inspectors, control vessels, aircraft, etc.) from seven Member States thereby providing more effective and uniform control of fishing activities in seven control campaigns over a total of more than 100 campaign days.

• A joint inspection and surveillance campaign in support of the long-term management plan for cod in the Baltic Sea, which deploys resources pooled by the coastal Member States in six campaigns over a total of more than 80 campaign days.