THE NORTH SEA

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THE NORTH SEA REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Ann Bell MBE Aberdeenshire Council,
Scotland Secretary to the North Sea Regional
Advisory Council
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European Maritime Policy
Governance of the seas has been on the agenda
since Rio Greater cooperation is needed at all
levels of governance. New integrated ocean
policies are required Those policies must involve
a wide range of stakeholders Stakeholder
participation has already begun in the fisheries
sector
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The Commissions Green Paper on the Future of the
Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) decided that

• many stocks are at present outside safe
  biological limits.
• Poor enforcement of decisions has contributed to
  over-fishing
• The fisheries sector is economically fragile
• stakeholders do not feel sufficiently involved
• in fisheries management

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To improve governance within the CFP the Green
paper recommended

• Establishment of Regional Advisory Committees to
  involve more effectively the stakeholders in
  policy-making
• De-centralisation of management responsibilities
  to address local and emergency situations
• Promoting the transparency of scientific advice

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Functions of the RACs
RACs may Submit recommendations and suggestions,
of their own or at the request of the Commission
or a Member State, on matters relating to
fisheries management to the Commission or Member
State concerned Inform the Commission or the
Member State concerned of problems relating to
the implementation of Community rules Conduct
any other activities to fulfil their functions
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Setting up the NSRAC

• The North Sea Commission Fisheries Partnership
  decided to set up the North Sea RAC (NSRAC)
• Many interest groups were consulted
• An Interim Executive Committee was formed

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In September 2004 the Interim ExCom met in
Copenhagen and a draft proposal for the NSRAC was
approved submitted to the Commission
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In November 2005 the First General Assembly of
the NSRAC was held in Edinburgh
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NSRAC AREAS
ICES Areas IV and IIIa The North Sea Skaggerak
Kattegat
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Structure of the RACArticle 4

• Each RAC shall consist of a general assembly and
  an executive committee
• The general assembly shall meet at least once a
  year to approve the annual report and the annual
  strategic plan drawn up by the executive
  committee
• The general assembly shall appoint an executive
  committee of up to 24 members. The executive
  committee shall manage the work of the RAC
• and adopt its recommendations

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(No Transcript)
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The Members
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Membership

• The RACs shall be composed of representatives
  from the fisheries sector and other interest
  groups affected by the CFP
• In the general assembly and executive committee
  two thirds of the seats shall be allotted to
  representatives of the fisheries sector and one
  third to representatives of the other interest
  groups affected by the CFP
• At least one representative of the catching
  sector from each member state concerned shall be
  represented
• on the executive committee

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Executive Committee Catchers Organisation
Belgium Catchers Organisation France x
2 Catchers Organisation Denmark x 2 Catchers
Organisation Germany Catchers Organisation
Netherlands x 2 Catchers Organisation
Poland Catchers Organisation Spain Catchers
Organisation Sweden Catchers Organisation United
Kingdom x 2 European Organisation for Fish
Traders European Association of Fishing Ports and
Auctions European Transport Workers
Federation Green-NGO x 4 Consumer Aquaculture
Producer Fisher-Recreational North Sea Womens
Network
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CHAIRS One for the General Assembly Patrice Leduc
of France One for the Executive Committee Hugo
Andersson of Sweden The Chairs play an impartial
and independent role
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First General Assembly
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Boulogne First ExCom
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Spatial Planning Working Group,
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Co-ordination Meetings
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Meetings Meetings Meetings Interim
ExCom Copenhagen September 04 Interim Flatfish
WG Copenhagen September 04 First General Assembly
Edinburgh November 04 Preliminary ExCom
Edinburgh November 04 Demersal WG London
December 05 Advice on Management Measures for
Plaice Opinion on TACs Quotas for 2005
Co-ordination Meeting with Commission Brussels
December 04 Coordination Meeting with
Commission Brussels January 05 ExCom Boulogne
January 05 Spatial Planning Workshop London
May 05 Spatial Planning WG London May
05 Demersal WG Glasgow May 05 Flatfish WG
Glasgow May 05 ExCom Hamburg June 05 Advice
on Management Measures for Plaice Advice on
the Plaice Box Advice on the Shetland
Box Coordination Meeting with Commission
Brussels July 05 Focus Group on Long-Term
Objectives Schiphol August 05 Focus Group on
Criteria for Managed Areas Schiphol August
05 Steering Group Pilot Study of Fishing Areas
Schiphol August 05 Focus Group on Socio-
Economic Data Edinburgh September 05 Meeting
with OSPAR Bristol October 05 Focus Group on
the Plaice Box Schiphol October
05 Coordination Meeting with Commission
Brussels October 05 Demersal WG Stockholm
October 05 Second General Assembly Stockholm
October 05 4, 4, 6, 7, 21
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Advice during 2005

• A multi-annual management plan for plaice
  incorporating 15 structural effort reductions
• Retention of the plaice box
• Retention of the Shetland Box
• Development of an effort management scheme for
  the Kattegat
• Detailed proposals for the future management of
  the Nephrops and flatfish fisheries

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Research projects

• A study of new long-term fisheries objectives for
  key fisheries
• A pilot project on the mapping of fishing areas
• The collection of social and economic data on
  fisheries and fishery dependent areas

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Mapping of key fishing areas
Will further development of the North Sea leave
any space for fish or fishers?
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• There is a lack of data on areas of priority
  importance to the fisheries
• NSRAC is facilitating the collection of fishers
  spatial knowledge
• Combining it with data from satellite monitoring
  and other sources
• To create a full picture of the areas most
  important to fish and to fisheries

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Lessons Learned from the NSRAC?

• Stakeholder participation is important for
  resolving the complex issues of ocean governance
• The fisheries sector has already achieved success
  in providing a voice for stakeholders through the
  Regional Advisory Councils
• The RACs provide a model which can be improved
  and built upon

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www.nsrac.org