Javier Garat, from Spain, will continue as chair of European association Europêche during the first two years. (Photo: Cepesca)

Javier Garat becomes reelected as Europêche president

EUROPEAN UNION
Tuesday, December 18, 2018, 22:00 (GMT + 9)

Secretary General of the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA) Javier Garat has been re-elected as President of Europêche, an organization that aims to defend the interests of EU fishing shipowners before the European institutions.

17.12.2018 Europêche General Assembly

The election was unanimously agreed upon by the members of Europêche during the General Assembly of the European association in Brussels, in which Gerard van Balsfoort, Dutch president of the Association of Pelagic Freezer Trawlers (PFA), and Marc Ghiglia -- French managing director of the Union of Fishing Shipowners of France -- were also elected to be vice-presidents.

Members EUROPECHE

Javier Garat will be in charge of the organization's presidency for the next two years. Throughout this period and as agreed in the Assembly, the association will keep among its priorities to continue making progress in improving fish stocks, facilitating compliance with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and intensifying collaboration with the scientific community to continue advancing in the implementation of fisheries management with an ecosystem approach.

In addition, it will continue to work on the implementation of the landing obligation, on the definition of reasonable quotas based on scientific recommendations, and on the best possible way forward in the proposals for regulations on multi-year plans, including the Mediterranean ones, the control regulations and technical measures, and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

Likewise, Europêche will have among its priorities those related to the external dimension of the CFP, that is to say, the sustainable fisheries association agreements with third countries and the Regional Fisheries Organizations.

Safeguarding the interests of the EU fisheries sector in the current scene of uncertainty caused by Brexit is also a priority objective for Europêche, which will maintain its commitment to the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and with the promotion of the governance of the oceans on an international scale.

"Maintaining the trust of the members of Europêche is a satisfaction and above all a recognition of the work done in recent years in defense of a sustainable fishing activity, both from an environmental and socio-economic perspective," said Javier Garat.

"The EU fishing fleet has made remarkable efforts and investments in recent years to comply with the demands of European and international policies to champion the movement towards sustainable and responsible global fisheries; it is essential for Europe and the international organizations, especially the Regional Fisheries Organizations, to jointly push for the totality of the fleets to be subject to the same level of demand," he added.

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