| International Marine Science and Technology |
|
North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)
(Established 1953)
| Headquarters: | 22 Berners Street |
| London SW1P 3JR | |
| United Kindom | |
| Telephone: | +44 (0) 20 76310016 |
| Fax: | +44 (0) 20 76369225 |
| Email: | info@neafc.org |
| Web Site: | http://www.neafc.org/ |
Status
International ConventionMission
A regional approach to the conservation and optimum utilisation of the fishery resources of the North East Atlantic area with a framework appropriate to the regime of coastal state jurisdiction over fisheries, and accordingly to encourage international cooperation and consultation with respect to these resources.
Activities
The present NEAFC Convention entered into force in 1982 and there are currently six contracting parties: The European Community, Denmark (on behalf of the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Poland and the Russian Federation. Recent years have seen increased fishing activity and NEAFC has become responsible for managing several stocks in the Convention area. In 1998, the current Contracting Parties agreed to strengthen it by establishing an independent Secretariat in London. Agreement was reached upon a new Scheme on Control and Enforcement to be applied to waters outside national jurisdiction. This permits the mutual inspection of Contracting Party vessels. Contracting Parties are also required to notify the Secretariat of vessels authorised to fish in international waters and report catches taken. The scheme entered into force on 1 July 1999 and has been successively amended in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
NEAFC acts as a forum for the commissioning and dissemination of scientific advice on the state of fish stocks in the north east Atlantic. The Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management of ICES supplies NEAFC with scientific advice and, on the basis of this advice, NEAFC establishes conservation and management measures. At present the main stocks to be regulated by NEAFC are Atlanto-Scandian Herring, Blue Whiting, Haddock, Mackerel and Oceanic Redfish.
United Kingdom Interests
The waters around the UK are within the NEAFC Convention area. The UK fishing industry is, therefore, interested in a number of NEAFC stocks.
Lead Department
The Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs.
Contact: Christine Szot, Fisheries Division III (Sea Fisheries Conservation),
Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7238 5925
Email: Christine.Szot@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Other Interested Departments and Organisations
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, Fisheries Research Services, Marine Laboratory, PO Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2AH.
Briefing and Reporting MechanismsDefra has responsibility for producing and coordinating briefing.
PerspectiveFollowing the United Nations Agreement, relating to the conservation and management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, NEAFC has made a number of changes to adapt to the enhanced role of regional fisheries organisations.
A separate regional fisheries organisation, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, fulfils a similar function to NEAFC for the other side of the Atlantic.