15/09/2015Kiev, Ukraine. On the occasion of a bilateral meeting held at the State Agency of Fisheries of Ukraine, the GFCM Executive Secretary, Mr Abdellah Srour, had the opportunity to discuss with the Chairman of the State Agency of Fisheries, Mr Yarema Kovaliv, matters related to cooperation in the field of fisheries and aquaculture. This exchange of views was particularly fruitful to explore avenues to strengthen the ongoing cooperation between Ukraine and the GFCM, in light of the “Cooperating non-Contracting Party” status recently granted to Ukraine at the thirty-ninth session of the Commission (Italy, May 2015) and of the revised legal framework of the GFCM which provides for a specific mechanism for the Black Sea region. This mechanism should in particular enable an improved coordination among the Black Sea riparian countries with a view to harmonizing policies and strategies pertaining to fisheries and aquaculture in this area. This meeting also provided an important opportunity to examine technical aspects related to the implementation of GFCM decisions and to reflect upon the main challenges facing Black Sea fisheries, such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which could be better addressed through enhanced dialogue and cooperation. In this respect, the possibility of providing technical assistance in several areas of interest for Ukraine – including training activities in specific fields such as stock assessment methodologies and marine spatial planning for aquaculture – was discussed. Finally, the confirmation that the State Agency of Fisheries of Ukraine will host the fifth session of the GFCM Working Group on the Black Sea in April 2016 was welcomed and regarded as a positive sign of its active participation in GFCM’s work in the Black Sea.