Image: Environment, Oceans and Fisheries/EU

Sustainable fisheries: EFCA presents new patrol vessels

EUROPEAN UNION
Tuesday, January 24, 2023, 07:00 (GMT + 9)

Today, the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) presented three new patrol vessels that will strengthen fisheries inspections in European and international waters.

European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said:

These vessels carry out a crucial mission of making our fisheries more sustainable and promoting the level-playing field for our fishermen and women. They are an important reinforcement of EU fisheries inspections tools. The new vessels will substantially strengthen EFCA’s contribution to monitoring fishing activities in EU waters and beyond, and delivering on our objectives.

The vessels will reinforce EFCA’s operational capacity in the monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries, as required by the common fisheries policy (CFP). They will be deployed primarily as fisheries patrol vessels to support the EU Member States in the various joint deployment plans across the EU sea basins, as well as within North Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) and North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) areas, and the Mediterranean under the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).

Named Ocean Guardian, Ocean Protector and Ocean Sentinel and flying the Portuguese flag, the vessels will also support other coast guard functions including maritime surveillance and pollution response.

Background

EFCA is a European Union agency that promotes the highest common standards for the control, inspection and surveillance under the common fisheries policy (CFP). EFCA was established to organise operational coordination activities by Member States and to assist their cooperation in complying with the rules and ensuring their effective and uniform application.

The agency contributes to sustainable fisheries by enhancing compliance with conservation and management measures and ensuring a level playing field for the EU fishing industry.

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