Kiev, Ukraine – On the occasion of the fifth meeting of the GFCM ad hoc Working Group of the Black Sea, hosted by the State Agency of Fisheries in Kiev, Ukraine, from 5 to 7 April 2016, the representatives of five countries bordering the Black Sea (Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine) as well as the European Union, ACCOBAMS and the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (“Black Sea Commission”) met to discuss important issues related to the management of fisheries in the Black Sea.

In particular, the meeting validated scientific advice regarding the status of priority fisheries stocks. Significant progress was made to identify elements towards management plans for turbot and anchovy. Moreover, guidelines were formulated for a recovery plan for piked dogfish, the stock of which is currently depleted.

The meeting was also an occasion to discuss new initiatives aimed at promoting cooperation among riparian countries for the conservation and management of marine living resources in the Black Sea. In particular, the organization of a high-level conference for the Black Sea (Romania, October 2016) as well as the first GFCM Forum on Fisheries Science at the end of 2017 were welcomed. In addition, participants discussed the launching of a new technical cooperation project, the “BlackSea4Fish project”, for which Bulgaria kindly offered to provide logistical support.   

The conclusions and recommendations of the Working Group will be submitted to the consideration of the Commission at its fortieth session (Malta, 30 May–3 June 2016).