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Illegal fishing is an important obstacle we have to put up with now in the Black Sea and particularly the Danube Delta, where fishing resources have declined more than 30 percent, Romania's Minister of Agriculture Achim Irimescu told a specialist conference on Tuesday.
"Europewide, besides sustainable management they tackle illegal and unregulated fishing, which is an important obstacle we have to put up with, particularly as far as Danube fishing is concerned, if not that much in the Black Sea, where fish resources are not that important. Expert evaluations show Danube Delta's fishing resources depleted by 30 percent," Irimescu told a High-Level Conference towards Enhanced Cooperation on Black Sea Fisheries and Aquaculture.
According to the minister, another issue specific to Romania in such areas regards the fishing communities where fishing in their livelihood, and that is why alternative sources of income have to be found for them.
"Romania's fishers practically live on this important resource, and it is important for us not to affect this social category, which is still living on fishing. We are doing are best to come up with alternative income sources, and I would mention mariculture to the point. Aquaculture overall has developed well on investment of European grants, particularly in the inland waters, and less so in the Black Sea, but I am hopeful that in the future, using the funds available under the 2014-2020 operational programme maritime affairs and fisheries, we will be able to produce in the Black Sea as well," said Irimescu.
He also mentioned that the Black Sea is very poor in fish resources, with just a limited portion of the shore able to be exploited, hence the interest of the Black Sea countries in adequate management of the resources.
"I am hailing the presence of the Black Sea countries in the event. We hope to find and advance with the process of getting in line with the EU maritime policy that provides for a system for sustainable management of the fish stocks. We all know that the Black Sea is poor in aquaculture resources, and that makes protecting the resources as best as we can all the more important. Romania and Bulgaria have been approved a very small quota of flatfish, some 43 tonnes per year, but flatfish is a species of economic interest and highly exploited. We has a similar quota for sp[rat as well, 12,000 tonnes, but the species is not of great economic interest. Erstwhile in Brussels, we had long conversations at the European Council meetings over the EU applying a system of quotas and sustainable management of resources. Romania and Bulgaria as European Union member states follow the quota system, but they consider that in order to achieve sustainable management of the Black Sea resources, all the Black Sea countries must follow the same lines," said Irimescu.
The minister also warned about the fishing of veined rapa whelks, members of species that has become extremely important economically, but the fishing method, bottom trawling, becomes dangerous to other species, while posing real environmental problems.
"There is very much talk about the fishing of veined rapa whelks, where a quota of 8,000 tonnes has been set for 2016. It is a species of high economic interest. Theoretically, there is no limit to its catching, because it is an invasive species, but the fishing methods used damage the marine environment, with bottom trawling being the most dangerous of them. In this sector, Romania has only small-sized fishing boats and just three ships longer than 15 metres," said Irimescu.
Black Sea fish catches' trade value is put at 629 million US dollars, but their economic impact could be 2.6 times higher than the reported value, according to data with the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Among the Black Sea countries, Turkey is topping the unloading ranking, with 76.7 percent, whereas Romania is bringing up the rear, with less than one percent.
In 2013, GFCM unveiled a management plan for the Black Sea zone to decrease fisheries' impact on the ecosystem, providing measures and information, particularly regarding fishing tools for flatfish, which stock is overexploited in the Black Sea.
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), jointly with Romania's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) on Monday and Tuesday organise a High-Level Conference towards Enhanced Cooperation on Black Sea Fisheries and Aquaculture.
The conference gathers officials from Black Sea counties, Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member states and officials, European Commission, GFCM, FAO and Eurofish.
Recent scientific studies indicate a worrying level of the Black Sea stocks, which calls for concerted action to protect marine ecosystems and contain the fisheries' negative environmental impacts, including by getting in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
