| Two major objectives are stipulated for the proposed Accompanying Measures:
1. To conduct a symposium, which will bring together fishermen, farmers, state and EU policy makers, international organisation and scientists from all relevant fields. Through presentations, sharing information and discussions, to mutually compose a set of recommendations which will facilitate the development of a sustainable strategy for the domestication of the blue fin tuna (BFT). These recommendation will be intended for policy makers, for the industry (fishermen and farmers) and for the scientific community on how to develop the domestication of (BFT) on a sustainable basis;
2. Facilitate a series of RTD proposals dealing with: the biology of the BFT, closing its life cycle in captivity, aspects of farming technology and a thorough examination of social, economic and environmental aspects of the domestication process, leading to eventual farming.
The steering committee (SC) of the symposium will issue a call for the meeting immediately upon receiving the acceptance of the proposal from the Commission. The meeting is scheduled for the end of September 2001 (24-29). The SC will invite the following to participate in the symposium: DG14 representatives. Governments from around the Mediterranean (fisheries departments). International organisations (I CAAT, GFCM). Tuna fishermen and tuna farmers. Leading bluefin tuna (BFT) biologists and BFT aquaculturists from Japan, Australia and the North America. Scientists from the EU and associate members, who have been involved in the DOTT drive. A preparatory meeting of the SC is planned for late May or early June at the site (Mazarron/Cartagena, Spain) of the symposium. The 1st day (24.09.01) will be devoted to presentations on: Atlantic BFT stocks assessment on rising market demand on consumers' ethics.(such as environmental sustainability), on EU and ICAAT policy matters. At the end of the day a panel discussion will be held on the directions which the domestication of the BFT should take. On day 2 we plan presentations by BFT fishery representatives, BFT farmers, 'farming experience and problems (European and others), expectations of the industry from research.
At the end of the day a panel discussion will be held, at the end of which recommendations, for all involved levels and fields, will be drawn. The 3rd day will be devoted to sharing scientific information and "State of Art" reviews on t 1 he BFT domestication and farming. On days 4-5 scientists and interested parties from the industry will break into thematic working groups. The groups will incorporate information/ideas (decide on priorities) delivered over the first 3 days, into R&D project proposals (shared cost RTD projects). Proceeding of the meeting will be published and a series of the above proposals will be submitted to EU QOL RTD program. |