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Bertie Armstrong |
SAM Lambourn, former president of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, has signed off as chairman of the North West Regional Advisory Council, full of praise for the work of such councils (RACs), saying they were helping to foster international co-operation and decentralise the Common Fisheries Policy.
He has formally handed over the position to Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and will now concentrate on the operation of his fishing vessel, the 12-metre Lyonesse.
At its recent meeting in Dublin, the council paid tribute to Sam’s leadership over the first six years of its existence. The General Assembly applauded Sam’s central role in building the RAC out of a disparate group of sometimes mutually suspicious stakeholders, into the formidable body that it has become, producing considered advice for the Commission, member states and the European Parliament.
He said: “I have been fortunate to be part of this RAC as it has matured into a serious body whose opinions carry significant weight in the corridors of power.
“Apart from the growth of mutual respect between the fishing interests of the various member states and other stakeholders, it is the strengthening engagement between the RAC and ICES scientists at all levels that has been the RAC’s obvious achievement. Tackling the problem of data-deficiencies that often degrade the quality of stock assessments is now one of the NWWRAC’s principal areas of attention.”
“The vast sea area covered by the North West RAC (in takes in West of Scotland, West of Ireland, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and the Channel) has undoubtedly posed a challenge but we have found a way to operate and produce advice through a mixture of area and issue focused groups.”
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