1. DG MARE, European Commission
High Level Conference on Black Sea Fisheries and aquaculture (Sofia, Bulgaria, 6-7 June 2018) Sofia Ministerial Declaration
Pinelopi Belekou
Unit D1 – Fisheries Management Mediterranean and Black Sea
DG MARE, European Commission
Black Sea Advisory Council – General Assembly meeting
26th March 2018, Varna, Bulgaria

2. New dynamic of Black Sea fisheries governance
Bucharest Declaration (2016) – High Level Conference towards enhanced cooperation on Black fisheries and aquaculture
GFCM mid-term strategy for the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (2016)
GFCM Regional Plan of Action to combat IUU (2017)
Upcoming Sofia Ministerial Declaration (2018)– High Level Conference on Black Sea fisheries and aquaculture

3. Bucharest declaration
Strong political engagement reached on common responsibility for sustainability of Black Sea fisheries. Need for:
Joint actions at multilateral level and cooperation
Improving data collection and scientific knowledge
Fighting against IUU fishing
GFCM - BlackSea4Fish project dedicated to BS scientific needs
GFCM High Level Conference on Black Sea in 2018 to take stock of the implementation of the Bucharest Declaration
Achievements – First GFCM Multiannual Management Plan on turbot is in place and a joint control and inspection pilot project is implemented with the assistance of EFCA

4. Towards Sofia Ministerial Declaration
A common multilateral declaration on the future of Black fisheries and aquaculture
Acts of concerted political ownership and governance
Set objectives and targets and requests specific actions, in line with the international legal framework, for flag, coastal, port and market States
Concrete targets and timelines, measurable deliverables, fully-fledged action plan, strategy for the Black Sea over the next 10 years
Based on the successful example of Malta MedFish4Ever Ministerial Declaration for the Mediterranean

5. Core Objectives Improve level playing field for fisheries
Improve the situation for small-scale fisheries
Fight against IUU fishing
Have better data collection, scientific advice and conservation measures, new MAPs, to reverse the decline of stocks
Sustainable development of aquaculture activities
Help improve the situation in non EU countries with targeted capacity building/technical assistance actions

6. Overall Objectives
Address the impact of other human activities (e.g. pollution, marine transport) on living marine resources
Support direct and indirect employment in fishing industry
Offer possibilities for diversification in other blue economy activities
Boost synergies and complementarities

7. Commitments Enhance data collection and scientific evaluation
cover key Black Sea stocks by 2021
common guidelines/working rules on data/stock assessments to ensure reproducibility (GFCM recommendation by 2019)
full implementation of BlackSea4Fish project, targeted activities to cover Black Sea data needs

8. Commitments Ecosystem-based fisheries management framework
implement by 2021 regional capacity plan
manage by 2021 key stocks with MAP, establish GFCM calendar with qualified objectives to set up MAPs
FRAs/MPAs for at least 10% of Black Sea by 2022, establish GFCM calendar in 2019, present proposals in 2020
set by 2021 baseline rules for recreational fisheries
ensure protection of vulnerable species and sensitive habitats

9. Commitments Develop culture of compliance to fight IUU fishing
by 2021 have adequate legal framework and capabilities to ensure control
GFCM to help the implementation by countries of measures of the new regional plan of action to fight IUU
Develop pilot projects to then be permanent Joint Schemes of International Inspection
by 2019 establish at GFCM compliance indicators for IUU

10. Commitments Support sustainable small-scale fisheries and aquaculture
Implement GFCM regional plan of action for SSF to set up in key issues: fisheries co-management, law impact techniques/fishing gears, social inclusion including role of women and young people in employment, valorisation of catches, diversification, contribution to environmental protection
implement new GFCM multi-annual strategy for aquaculture, ADCs in Black Sea

11. Commitments Greater solidarity and coordination
by 2019 GFCM permanent network for cooperation, technical assistance and implementation of Sofia Declaration
in 2019 GFCM work programme on spatial planning, pre-identification of priority areas
collaboration with regional organisations on environment/ /economic/social sustainability
Implement effectively the BlackSea4Fish project

12. EU towards sustainable BS fisheries
2019 fishing opportunities for turbot and sprat in the Black Sea
Full implementation of the landing obligation
Full implementation of turbot MAP
Implementation of a pilot control and inspection scheme in the Black Sea for turbot fisheries
New multiannual management plans for other key stocks
2018 commitments on turbot and piked dogfish, record all catches, market inspections and at sea, improve data collection, monitor discards of rapana whelk and piked dogfish, statistic monitoring of turbot imports/exports

13. Black Sea Advisory Council – Developments on fisheries governance
Active role towards regional and multilateral cooperation on conservation measures
MoU GFCM/BlSAC - cooperation on conservation of marine biodiversity in the Black Sea
BlSAC work programme in line with the multilateral dimension and governance
Close cooperation with COM, GFCM, EFCA, Scientific bodies, other AC (MEDAC), other riparian countries of the Black Sea

15. Thank you!