At NEAFC’s 28th Annual Meeting in November 2009, Mr Stefán Ásmundsson, Iceland ended his three-year tenure as President, the North East Atlantic Fisheries commission’s top elected officer. In his valedictory remarks he noted progress made, both in institutional improvements to meet regional and international obligations, and in practical management. In this, NEAFC has continuously expanded its management portfolio to incorporate all fisheries in the international waters of its Regulatory Area under management and address all aspects of the impact of fisheries on the marine environment. NEAFC has been particularly successful in establishing robust monitoring surveillance and control measures, blacklisting IUU vessels of vessels of flags of no compliance and, with strict port state control measures, controlling the flow of fish into markets in the NEAFC Area in the process protecting the rights of legal fishermen.
Dr. Sergei Belikov of the Russian Federation was elected President for the years 2010- 2012. Sergei has had a distinguished scientific career at PINRO, Knipovich Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography in Murmansk and is well acquainted with international negotiations on the management of living resources of the oceans in general and, in particular, negotiations in bilateral and multilateral-regional contexts. He is currently Deputy Head of the Department of International Cooperation of the Federal Agency for Fisheries in the Russian Federation.
At the Annual Meeting in November 2009 Mr Johán Williams (Norway) was elected 1st Vice-President and Mr Andrew Thomson (EU) 2nd Vice President.
Dr. Belikov took over the reins of NEAFC on 1 January 2009. He notes that he has already been participating in NEAFC for a decade and will try to use that experience to ensure the smooth work of the Commission and continuity in its goals and procedures. He stresses that, through a concerted effort by all Contracting Parties, NEAFC can be promoted as an efficient and transparent organization. He is looking forward to effective and fruitful cooperation.
