Panel 1 - State of Black Sea living marine resources and their ecosystems 

As the Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) with competence over the Black Sea, the GFCM seeks to encourage knowledge sharing on the principal issues affecting fisheries management, namely, sound scientific advice on biological and ecological aspects, management measures, environmental issues and the socio-economic impacts. Presently, the status of Black Sea stocks is alarming and actions are urgently needed to revert the current trend. At the same time, ACCOBAMS, the Black Sea Commission, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and Eurofish share with the GFCM a keen interest in healthy marine ecosystems that foster blue growth and sustainable development while limiting negative interactions between fisheries and the environment. Within this framework, this expert session examined interconnected elements for efficiently managing Black Sea fisheries and for ensuring healthy ecosystems.

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Panel 2 - Existing knowledge and efforts towards the assessment and eradication of IUU fishing in the Black Sea

IUU fishing is one of the most serious threats to the sustainability of Black Sea fisheries. Although the precise extent of this activity is at present unclear, it is known that this activity is increasingly common, with serious consequences for fish stocks, the ecosystem, and the fishing communities dependent on these resources. The GFCM recognizes that better management of fisheries in the Black Sea is undermined by IUU fishing and a disregard for common rules. As such, in 2013, the GFCM adopted a specific roadmap for the fight against IUU fishing for the Black Sea. This has been the first regional instrument ever conceived to fight against IUU fishing in the Black Sea, an area which is known to be particularly challenging when it comes to the incidence of IUU fishing. This session took stock of the current scale of IUU fishing, including its foreseeable costs and impacts, in order to frame discussions around the most appropriate international and regional policy instruments to be developed against the background of the 2013 roadmap. In this regard, the session explored, in particular, the role of MCS, including emerging technologies that could be used in the Black Sea to address IUU fishing.

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Panel 3 - Current state and future perspectives for the responsible development of aquaculture in the Black Sea

Aquaculture represents a concrete opportunity for enhancing food security, employment and economic growth in the Black Sea. While current production includes a range of finfish and shellfish, utilized also for restocking purposes, the full potential of the sector is still untapped. Fostering aquaculture development in the Black Sea calls for an enabling environment where the sector can flourish. The role to be played by the GFCM in this process is crucial. In this regard, an Aquaculture Task Force has been recently established by the GFCM to boost market production and strengthen the contribution of aquaculture to blue growth and sustainable development. This has led, in turn, to the development of a regional aquaculture strategy, based on healthy environments, sound management and the development of attractive and fair regional markets. This session addressed the status of the aquaculture sector in the Black Sea and identified potential future actions to unblock, accelerate and secure the sector’s sustainable development and growth. Such actions include the identification of suitable areas for aquaculture farming, the enhancement of cooperation and knowledge-sharing on topics of markets and trends, species selection, legislative and governance frameworks and technology.

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The following representatives addressed the audience during the High-Level Session:

• H.E. Achim Irimescu, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Romania
• H.E. Cristiana Pasca-Palmer, Minister for Environment, Waters and Forests, Romania
• H.E. Dessislava Taneva, Minister for Agriculture and Food, Bulgaria
• H.E. Roni Telegrafi, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Management, Albania
• H.E. Rauf Hajiyev, Deputy Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources, Azerbaijan
• H.E. Ekaterine Grigalava, Deputy Minister for Environment and Natural Resources Protection, Georgia
• H.E. Victor Morgoci, Deputy Minister for Environment, Republic of Moldova
• H.E. Iarema Kovaliv, Deputy Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food - Head of State Agency of Fisheries, Ukraine
• H.E. Valery Ivanovitch Kuzmin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Romania
• H.E. Mustafa Altug Atalay, Director-General of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Turkey
• Mr Jiansan Jia, Deputy-Director, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, on behalf of Mr Graziano Da Silva, FAO Director-General
• Ms Valérie Lainé, Acting Director, Directorate D (Mediterranean and Black Sea), Directorate General for Maritime Affaires and Fisheries, European Commission
• H.E. Michael Christides, Secretary General, BSEC
• Ms Florence Descroix-Comanducci, Executive Secretary, ACCOBAMS
• Ms Aina Afanasjeva, Director, EUROFISH
• Mr Abdellah Srour, Executive Secretary, GFCM