The North Western Waters RAC is due to finish the first year of work in September 2006. If the pace of the first year is anything to go by the NWWRAC members have their work set out for them for 2006/2007.
In the space of one year the NWWRAC has had 7 sets of meetings together with numerous meetings with the EU Commission, ICES and the other RACs. In addition discussions within the NWWRAC meetings have ranged from the Cod Recovery Programmes to Gear Marking and Pingers to Scallop Management.
There are a number of issues which will feature heavily on the agenda for year two including Technical Conservation Measures, Scallop Management, Long-term management initiatives or MSY, and the review of the Cod Recovery Programmes. In fact the NWWRAC is currently working closely with the North Sea RAC on both the MSY issue and Cod Recovery. A joint symposium is planned for the spring of 2007 to review the Cod Recovery Programmes where it is anticipated that the industry will have a chance to put forward practical alternatives for a plan that has had clearly no effect.
The next meeting of the NWWRAC will be the General Assembly, which will take place in Fishmongers Hall in London on the 9th of October. A meeting on Scallops and their management will take place on the 10th of October in London, and further Working Group meetings are planned for early November.