Last week, a delegation of the European Anglers Alliance and the European Fisheries Tackle Trade Association met with Mr. Marius Vaščega, Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, in charge of Environment, Ocean and Fisheries, at the occasion of a videoconference meeting.
The EAA-EFTTA Delegation gathered Fred Bloot, President of the European Anglers Alliance, David Vertegaal from Sportvisserij Nederland, Markus Lundgren from Sportfiskarna, Olivier Portrat, CEO of EFTTA and Jan Kappel, EAA Secretary General and EFTTA EU Public Affairs Officer, for a meeting with several EU senior officials from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Commissioner’s political team.
Together they discussed some of the EU’s key priorities in the framework of the European Green Deal and the Common Fisheries Policy that are of particular interest for the anglers community and the recreational fisheries sector, such the EU’s new Biodiversity Strategy, including marine protected areas and the restoration of free-flowing rivers, data collection on recreational fisheries and angling’s benefits for the society. EAA and EFTTA also shared their vision for the inclusion and full recognition of recreational fisheries in the Common Fisheries Policy in the future.
The Commission acknowledged the positive role played by EAA and EFTTA as part of the CFP Advisory Councils and in the framework of the pilot project on the control of recreational fisheries. EAA-EFTTA reiterated their support to the EU’s objectives of restoring and protecting nature and called for the Commissioner to work together with them towards a more comprehensive vision and policy goals of the EU for the recreational fisheries sector.
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© European Union 2014 - EP