[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] GFCM-Lex helps Albania fish more sustainably Albania along with Turkey and Tunisia have been selected by the GFCM to pilot a project creating an online repository for fisheries and aquaculture legislation in the Mediterranean. GFCMLex, as the repository is known, is intended to harmonise national legislation at the regional level and make it accessible to policy makers, researchers, the general public, and fishers. Each of the countries selected for the pilot represents a Mediterranean subregion—the Adriatic Sea, central Mediterranean and eastern Mediterranean, respectively. The next phase of the project will involve additional countries with a view to covering all the 21 countries in the Mediterranean by 2022.
GFCM-Lex provides background information on fisheries and aquaculture and on relevant decisions adopted by the GFCM, connecting national legislation to GFCM decisions. This information is available in English, French or the national language of the country covered. GFCM-Lex is already impacting the national legislation in participating countries. In Albania, for example, administrators have used the repository to identify gaps in their existing legislation and update it in line with GFCM recommendations. These actions are helping to protect vulnerable species and support small-scale fisheries while addressing issues such as bycatch and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Albania, Turkey, and Tunisia will create an online repository for fisheries and aquaculture legislation on the Mediterranean that will be extended to all 21 riparian countries.
Estonia: Purtse port, Estonian Public Broadcasting programme win fishing achievement awards For the second year running, the Fishing Achievement of the Year was selected under the aegis of the Fisheries Information Centre. Awards are handed out in two categories: the people’s choice and the grand prize. Candidates for the people’s choice can be nominated by anyone, and everyone living in Estonia is eligible to vote to decide the winner. Candidates for the grand prize are nominated and the winner selected by a jury of experts, including representatives from ministries, fisheries associations and institutions of higher education. Last year the people’s choice winner was the removal of a dam on Sindi River, which opened access to new high-quality spawning areas. The grand prize last year went to the Paldiski fish meal component factory. This year, Estonians voted for the restoration of the little Purtse
fishing port. It was a bit of a dark horse, but this victory showed that small harbours play an important social and economic role in coastal areas when it comes to preserving fishing culture and traditions. Ports have also long ceased to be the domain of fishermen alone— they are increasingly becoming community cultural hubs. The jury’s selection for grand prize was Estonian Public Broadcasting programme Osoon. Named after the Estonian word for ozone, it is a long-running (since 1993) nature and environmental programme on Estonian television. In recent years, topics related to fishing and maritime issues have been covered frequently. In 2020, a wide range of topics were covered: microplastic as a source of marine pollution, alien species in aquatic environments, various fish species such as river lamprey, sea trout and Atlantic sturgeon. Eel migration, fish species of the Narva
XXX FVSPl TINBHB[JOF DPN
The restoration of Purtse fishing port, a small harbour on the north eastern coast of Estonia, won the public’s votes for the 2021 Fishing Achievement award
River, and youth fishing camps were also featured, among many other topics. In 2019, Osoon also covered fish farming, seaweed, and freshwater pearl mussels. It is a pleasure to see scientists discuss their work, and it is gratifying that Osoon seeks to profile a number of scientific research projects and findings for its viewers, fostering
a positive image of the field and contributing to public interest in the sector. The Fisheries Information Centre will continue to organise competitions in the years to come because it is one way of acknowledging and highlighting those who contribute to the field.
