The Republic of Serbia is the latest country to join the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission.

Jelena Tanaskovic, Serbia’s Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, informed QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), of the country’s decision to join EIFAAC in March.

With the addition of Serbia, the commission now has 36 members.

EIFAAC promotes the sustainable development, use, conservation, restoration and responsible management of inland fisheries and aquaculture in Europe, in line with FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and other relevant international instruments. The commission was established as a regional fishery body (RFB) by the FAO Council in 1957 and has been an important intergovernmental forum for collaboration and information exchange on inland fisheries and aquaculture among all European countries.

Serbia is a landlocked country and it has a long tradition of fish cultivation, mainly focused on common carp and trout. Through EIFAAC, organizations and agencies involved in managing inland fisheries and aquaculture can seek guidance from specialists and experts, both national and international, particularly with the formulation of regional and national policies, strategic plans or technical guidelines.