The European Commission has announced a one-day public seminar on the current state of fish stocks in European waters, to be held on 23 July in Brussels.
The aim of the seminar is to have open and transparent discussions on scientific research on EU fisheries, and how it should be applied in practice.
The seminar will cover all major European fish stocks (such as anchovy, whiting, cod and herring) in all the EU's seas. Scientists will explain their estimates of how many fish are left in the seas, and what this implies in practice for fishermen. Seminar participants will then be able to discuss what needs to be done next in order to manage these fisheries sustainably.
After these discussions, the European Commission will consider the consequences and needs for further steps. The Commission has decided to open this seminar not only to representatives of all stages in the fishing industry (capture, processing and marketing) as well as conservation organisations and NGOs, but also to the press, and to interested European citizens. The Commission said that it believes that to achieve a culture of sustainability it is vital to provide more opportunities for direct dialogue between the people who will feel the impact of scientific advice on fish stocks most directly, and the scientists involved in making these assessments. Members of the European Parliament and fisheries administrators from Member States are also welcome to attend.
