Between 7 and 8 November, meetings of the Black Sea Advisor Committee (BlSAC) in Rome and Chioggia, Italy, were held by the Mediterranean Advisory Council (MEDAC).
On the first day, at the MEDAC office, which is located in the building of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies in Rome, we learned about the structure of governance and their core principles of work. Some of the highlights are:
There are 47 organizations from 8 countries, of which 34 are representatives of the fisheries sector. The work of MEDAC is supported by permanent working groups (5) and geographically targeted focus groups (3). Thematic groups are defined by an agreed MEDAC protocol to issue recommendations within one year. The working groups shall assist the Executive Committee in taking decisions and making recommendations on issues related to regional cooperation in relation to Art. 18 of Regulation (EC) No 1380/2013. All positions and recommendations of the groups are prepared after a common agreement has been reached between the members. Items that differ from common consent are recorded in a protocol. The recommendations made by MEDAC are always sent to the EC, with a copy to the governments.
The advisory councils, both MEDAC and BlSAC, bear a great responsibility in providing opinions, as this can always be used by the EC and national governments. One of the most important factors in making recommendations is the existence of good internal communication and dialogue. Translating from different languages is also important, in order to avoid misunderstandings.
Italy has an advisory board to the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, but it decides only on a national level. Recently, the Council invited MEDAC to attend.
The MEDAC chairman advised BlSAC on the recommendations and proposals to be drafted only after a collective decision had been taken by the Advisory Board.
There is no limit and quantity of catches for small-scale boats in Italy. There is only a quota for tuna. Each fisherman must have a license and has the right to sell only up to 50 euro catch, only from the shore without being resold.
The second day of the visit continued with a visit to Chioggia, province of Veneto for acquainting with techniques and technologies for catching bivalves, their purification and marketing.
