On Tuesday 18 March, 12:30-14:00, in room J-99 00/53

· In reply to United Nations General Assembly Resolutions, Spain, has carried out several studies on VMEs in the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean since 2005.

· The programme contributes to defining practical criteria for identifying VMEs, to improving knowledge of their distribution in the North Atlantic and to providing advice on negative fishing impacts and habitat protection. Data obtained feed the new international databases on VMEs indicators (e.g.: 2012 ICES VME Database; NAFO coral/sponge Database).

· This presentation is focused in two case studies: Northeast Atlantic, Hatton Bank (ECOVUL/ARPA project) and Northwest Atlantic (NEREIDA project). Both projects having as a main a objective the multidisciplinary research of the sensible habitats and fishing activities as well as the analysis of the fishing resources for the study and protection of the VMEs.

· This and similar programes may contribute in near future to fulfil the obligations -yet to be agreed- on the discussions with both the Council and the Parliament of the Commission proposal setting a new deep-sea access regime for the EU fleet in the North East Atlantic basin (COM(2012)371).

Speaker: Dra. Mar SACAU CUADRADO - Investigador Titular OPIs (Instituto Español de Oceanografía Programa de Pesquerías Lejanas, Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo)

Sandwiches will be served prior to the conference.

DG MARE F.2 - Information & Communication