38. The Chairperson of the Sub-Commission, Mr. A. Raat (The Netherlands) presented the activities and achievements of the Sub-Commission as set out in EIFAC/XXIII/2004/8 and EIFAC/XXIII/2004/Inf.7.
39. An international Symposium on Ecohydrology and Physical Fish Habitat Modifications in Lakes was organized on 26-28 November 2003 in Mondsee (Austria). The meeting was attended by 38 participants from 17 countries. The rationale of the meeting was that physical modifications of lake habitats are considered to be one of the major causes of changes in fish communities, biodiversity and productivity. The proceedings of the meeting will be published in the international scientific journal Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology. An “Ecohydrology Task Force” was established at the Symposium to organize a workshop on perspectives of restoration of aquatic habitats and elaborate guidelines for restoration of physically degraded habitats.
40. The Sub-Commission agreed that the Working Party and its cooperation with the UNESCO IHP programme be continued. It also noted that habitat degradation has serious deleterious effects on fish populations and that practical measures to improve the habitat are urgently needed.
41. The Manual on Rehabilitation of Lakes and Reservoirs for Fish is scheduled to be published by the end of 2004. The papers presented for the manual will be re-edited and collated during the summer 2004 by Mr I.G. Cowx, to bring the Manual into the style of the previously published Manual on River Rehabilitation. The manual will be published by Blackwell Science. Mr Cowx will approach Blackwell Science, inviting them to discuss a co-publishing agreement with the FAO Publication Sales and Marketing Group.
42. The Sub-Commission noted that publication of the Manual may only be possible if it were sponsored.
43. The proceedings of the 2001 Hull International Fisheries Institute/EIFAC Conference on Interactions between Fish and Birds, Implications for Management, were published during the intersession, edited by Mr. I.G. Cowx. The EC funded project REDCAFE (Reducing the Conflict between Cormorants and Fisheries on a Pan-European Scale) published its final report “Reducing the conflict between cormorants and fisheries on a pan-European scale, REDCAFE, Final Report of a Concerted Action funded by the European Union”, edited by Mr D.N. Carss.[2] A COST Action to take the REDCAFE network forward has recently been approved in December 2003 by EC. This new project (called INTERCAFE) will build on the REDCAFE network and include more local stakeholders, social scientists, economists and policy-makers. Experts from the EIFAC member countries can participate in the three working parties of the INTERCAFE project. The planning for this project has been started and the project will run for four years. The Sub-Commission underlined the need for a population dynamic model of comorants.
44. The Sub-Commission stressed the importance of guidelines for practical actions and an integrated socio-economic approach. The Sub-Commission noted the very significant social and economic impacts of bird predation on fisheries and aquaculture. It was recognised that other groups were carrying this work forward and decided to convert the Ad Hoc Working Party into a liaison group. Mr E. Staub volunteered to act for EIFAC.
45. The Working Party was involved in the publication of the proceedings of the 2002 EIFAC symposium in Windermere. Sixteen papers from the meeting and an overview paper were published in a special issue of Fisheries Management and Ecology, edited by Mr H. Naeve (Vol. 11, No. 3/4, June/August 2004).
46. The Working Party met at Windermere (June 15, 2002) and identified various issues where EIFAC could help by providing advice on issues such as the impacts of stocking, biomanipulation, rehabilitation, impact of fish community management and conservation. The issues identified were addressed to the relevant working parties of Sub-Commission I.
47. Future activities of the Working Party were discussed during the Twenty-third Session. It was decided that the Working Party should continue as a strategic EIFAC liaison group, reporting to EIFAC on priority issues for the working programme of the Commission.
48. The Working Party prepared a compilation of basic scientific knowledge on the effects of handling of fishes in fisheries and aquaculture (fishing methods, harvest, holding and rearing, use of anaesthetics, slaughter). The document also identifies the relevant Web sites and other sources for information on welfare and handling of fishes and related topics. The Session decided that the document should appear as an EIFAC publication after editing and review. The Dutch delegation offered to sponsor the publication of the document.
49. The report of the March 2004 workshop meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Party in Utrecht (The Netherlands) was presented to the Twenty-third Session. This document identifies the ingredients for a future position statement of EIFAC on handling of fishes. The document further identifies issues of relevance for Working Parties of the EIFAC Sub-Commissions. The Sub-Commission noted the activities of the Council of Europe on handling and welfare of fish. It agreed that Mr V. Hilge will contact Mr R. Rösch to determine wheather he would be willing to act as liaison person between EIFAC and the relevant Council of Europe expert group.
50. The Sub-Commission decided that a document for an EIFAC position statement on handling of fishes will be prepared during the intersession.
51. The officers of the Liaison Group reported on activities in member countries with regard to the Water Framework Directive. The Session stressed that EIFAC must have a high profile in fish and fisheries related issues in the implementation of the Directive in member countries. The Session decided to continue the liaison group.
52. Recent developments in the research of effects of endocrine disrupting substances on fishes were reported. It was decided that the Chairperson of the Sub-Commission should continue to have a watching brief on new developments on the effects of endocrine disruptors on fish and fish populations and report relevant information to EIFAC.
53. The Sub-Commission decided to discontinue the Ad Hoc Working Party on Aquatic Environmental Hazard Assessment Criteria and Methods.
54. The following persons were elected: Mr A. Raat (The Netherlands), Chairperson; Mr G. Castelnaud (France), Vice Chairperson and Mr P. Gérard (Belgium), Rapporteur.
| [2] (http://banchory.ceh.ac.uk/redcafe/redcafedocs.htm) |
