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ABSTRACT

The twenty-ninth session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) was attended by delegates from all (twenty-four) Members of the Commission. The Commission decided that the new headquarters of GFCM will be in Palazzo Blumenstihl, Rome, Italy. The Commission agreed that Members would exceptionally participate in the ballots for the selection of the Executive Secretary, provided that they contribute their share to the GFCM autonomous budget prior to the end of 2005. Through interviews and secret ballots, the Commission selected its Executive Secretary. It also agreed on the mandate and on the procedure for the selection of the Deputy Executive Secretary. The Commission established formally the Coordinating Meeting of the SubCommittees (CMSC) as a subsidiary body of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), as well as a Permanent Working Group on Stock Assessment Methodologies. It favoured the strengthening of the mandate of the Joint GFCM/ICCAT Working Group on Large Pelagics and decided to re-establish the Network on Environment and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean (EAM) in support to the Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ). The Commission decided to review selected provisions of its Rules of Procedure at the next Plenary session. The Commission adopted binding Recommendations GFCM/2005/1 and GFCM/2005/2, respectively on “The management of certain fisheries exploiting demersal and deepwater species”, and on “The establishment of a record of fishing vessels over 15 metres authorized to operate in the GFCM area” as well as six ICCAT Recommendations and “General Guidelines for a GFCM Control Scheme”. The Commission also urged members to develop and adopt National Plans of Action on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) and invited the MedFisis regional project to give priority to establishing the GFCM vessel register (white list).