102. The Executive Secretary informed the Commission on progress made in the preparation of the project "Regional Programme for Improvement of Fisheries Management in the Eastern Mediterranean" (EastMed). The delegate from Greece stated that his government confirmed its co-financing of EastMed and offered to host the headquarters of the project in Athens.
103. The President of MEDISAMAK thanked the Commission for the granting of an observer statute of his organization with GFCM. He ensured Members that the Association would make every effort to contribute promoting responsible fisheries in the Mediterranean through developing cooperation and partnership with the Commission. Delegations welcomed the participation of the fishing sector in GFCM activities through the Association.
104. The Commission paid special tribute to Mr Rafael Robles and Mr Salvatore Coppola, in occasion of their retirement, for their decisive contribution to the on going regional projects, in particular CopeMed and MedFisis, and expressed the hope that ways would be found in the future to secure their collaboration with GFCM and participation in its work.
105. The delegate from Italy expressed his appreciation to FAO for hiring an economist, through the FAO Visiting Scientists Programme, in relation to the suggestion made by the Commission at its Extraordinary session to consider the secondment of experts to the Secretariat. He invited FAO to make further use of such Programme to undertake trend analysis on Mediterranean capture fisheries and aquaculture as referred by SAC and CAQ.
