78. This item of the Agenda was introduced by the Secretariat on the basis of document GFCM:SAC5/2002/3. The statements provided on this issue in paragraphs 61 to 64 of the Report of the Twenty-sixth Session of the Commission were recalled and emphasis was put on the likely long process of such endeavours. Current practices within GFCM to allow the participation of representatives from the private sector, both during the session of the Commission and within the Committee on Aquaculture, were described. Mention was made of the objectives and results of the first meeting with the Adriatic Fishery Associations, organized in July 2001 under the aegis of the ADRIAMED project.
79. In the discussions which followed, there were general acknowledgement of the trend toward, and usefulness of, greater participation of the private sector in the management planning process, at local, national, sub-regional and regional levels, in line with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The benefit of such cooperation for research outputs was stressed particularly with regard to the collection of basic data which often derives from the industry and sound formulation and implementation of management measures which are mostly directed to stakeholders.
80. There was general consensus on the need to strengthen cooperation with private sector representatives, including through greater transparency and accessibility of management decisions and recommendations. However, the complexity of launching such a process at the regional level was noted. As an example of this, a delegate informed the Committee of the unforeseen difficulties in the field of availability and quality of data, which resulted from tuna associations interested in the work of ICCAT.
81. A number of delegates described efforts being undertaken in their countries to reinforce relationships between research and industry. Complementary information was provided on existing schemes within the Commission of the European Union which were considered as important measures of the new Common Fishery Policy. The Coordinator of the COPEMED project informed participants of efforts initiated in building links with industry representatives in the Western Mediterranean, and in particular through establishing in early 2003 regular fora between the industry, the administration and research on specific issues of common interest. The Coordinator of the Sub-Committee on Economics and Social Sciences reiterated the offer made by the Sub-Committee at its last session in Barcelona to further investigate this issue.
82. The Committee was of the opinion that as a first step, the nature of cooperative arrangements in all GFCM countries, at local and national levels, needed to be better assessed and analysed and that sub-regional pilot initiatives, such as those of ADRIAMED and COPEMED should be closely monitored and supported. The importance of sharing information and strengthening means of communication between research institutions and the sector was also regarded as a prerequisite toward establishing formal arrangements.
