Workshop on European fishing policy in Turkey

The Secretary General for Fisheries and Spanish experts looked at the challenges facing fisheries management in Turkey at the High Level Workshop on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) held in Istanbul.

The meeting was held as part of the twinning project to improve fisheries management in Turkey, with the aim of training representatives from the Directorate General of Fisheries and Aquaculture and from departments around the country.

The project, which is funded by the European Union and managed by FIIAPP, can count on the experience of Spanish experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and the Environment (MAPAMA)  who are working with their Turkish counterparts to harmonise the country’s fishery regulations with the EU’s.

According to the director of FIIAPP, Pedro Flores, “the project is a model of cooperation as it is involved in improving three areas of this public policy: implementing regulations based on the Fisheries Act, improving the system for monitoring the boats and developing skills.” In addition, it has highlighted the long-term relationship between the Foundation and Turkey on this type of project, which to date has resulted in 23 twinning agreements between Turkish and Spanish government departments.

Since March 2017, the MAPAMA Secretariat General for Fisheries has joined with FIIAPP in leading this twinning effort, which has resulted in an improved control, supervision and monitoring system and more effective management based on collecting data on the fisheries sector.

The workshop was also attended by the Spanish ambassador to Turkey and officials from the Directorate General of Fisheries and Aquaculture and a number of Provincial Directorates from around Turkey. In his speech, the MAPAMA Secretary General for Fisheries emphasised the will to strengthen cooperation between Spain and Turkey in this area.