|
THE Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum Keynote Seminar on UK fishing and the future of the Common Fisheries Policy and which will feature a list of leading industry figures will be held in London on Wednesday, September 14.
Delegates at this seminar will assess the future for the UK fishing industry, following the publication of the European Commission’s draft regulatory proposals for Common Fisheries Policy Reform.
And the organisers say it will be a "timely opportunity" to join the debate on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy, following the UK Government’s call for "radical reform."
The agenda will include discussion on the future of policy on discards, following recent reports that the EC’s proposals will recommend moving towards a ban on discards, as well as on the introduction of internationally tradable individual transferable quotas (ITQs), which has led to serious concerns for the future of fishing communities in the UK.
The agenda is expected to examine how a reformed CFP will "deliver for UK fishermen and for the environment," and to consider how changes to the quota system will be implemented.
Planned sessions will also focus on:
· An update on the negotiation period – what are the UK’s key aims and what is the state of play in negotiations?;
· Integrating fisheries policy with environmental objectives – what would a discard ban mean in practice?;
· The role of retailers, suppliers and consumers in creating new markets for less widely eaten fish;
· A fresh look at the global context – including the impact of current WTO negotiations.
The seminar is organised on the basis of "strict impartiality" by the Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum.
Speakers are planned to include: John Robbs, Director Marine and Natural Environment, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Bertie Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Fishermen’s Federation; Ian Campbell, Ocean2012 Co-ordinator, New Economics Foundation; Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent, The Guardian; Philip MacMullen, Head of Environment, Seafish; Mike Park, Chief Executive, Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) and Jeremy Percy, Chief Executive, National Under Ten Metre Fishermen’s Association (NUTFA).
Further senior participants are being approached. The booking form for the event can be found at http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/book_event.php?eid=284 – alternatively, there’s a general information page at http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/event.php?eid=284 with a link to the live agenda.
Should people be 'stimulated' to eat white fish alternatives to cod?
