A strong representation of anglers in general and NGOs from Estonia, Latvia and Estonia in particular marked a recent FISH-led strategy workshop in Poland.
Some 25 NGO representatives, also from Poland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Russia, had gathered in Miêdzyzdroje, a spa and sea resort north of Szczecin on the Polish Baltic coast. FISH had arranged the strategy workshop, headlined “Working with the CFP Reform: Creating National and Regional Strategies”, with on-place support from the Polish Green Federation Gaja.
The two-day meeting resulted in several action plans for different regions surrounding the Baltic Sea, as for the anglers expressing a strong wish to integrate recreational fishing in the upcoming reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
Much of the discussions were conducted from the perspective of what can be done within the frame of, and support from, the OCEAN2012 coalition, where several of the participating NGOs already are members, and others are expected to join.
OCEAN2012 is an alliance of organisations dedicated to transforming European Fisheries Policy to stop overfishing, end destructive fishing practices and deliver fair and equitable use of healthy fish stocks. FISH was one of five founding members in June 2009; it has now 70-plus members, and is still growing.