Tim Heddema is the new president of the Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association (PFA), which represents the interests of nine European pelagic freezer-trawler companies that fish for human consumption. He takes over from Gerard van Balsfoort, who has served as the PFA’s president since 2006.
With a civil service career behind him in which he most recently served as an agriculture and fisheries diplomat at the Dutch Embassy in London and at the Dutch Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels, Tim Heddema joined the PFA in August as vice-president.
‘It’s a great pleasure to take over the PFA presidency. I want the PFA to continue to be a strong voice, at a crucial time for fisheries management in the Northeast Atlantic and North Sea areas,’ he said.
‘In a post-Brexit world, we must all work hard to strengthen the ties between all stakeholders, in the interest of sustainable and responsible fisheries. The PFA thanks Gerard van Balsfoort for his many years of leadership and tireless commitment to the pelagic fishing sector. Gerard has laid the best possible foundation for our team to achieve our goals and I am pleased that despite his retirement he will keep supporting us in the background.’
A leading figure in the European pelagic fishing sector for the past 16 years, Gerard van Balsfoort has played an important role during the Brexit negotiations, representing the interests of fishing fleets of nine EU member states as chairman of the European Fisheries Alliance (EUFA).
During his time as president of the PFA, he also took on active roles in Europêche as vice-president, the European Association of Fish Producers Organisations as a member of the Executive Committee and chair of the Northern Pelagic Working Group, the Pelagic Advisory Council as head of the secretariat and a member of the executive committee, the Long Distance Advisory Council as a member of the executive committee and chair of WG2, and as a board member of the Dutch Fish Marketing Board.
