February, 6, 2018: In preparation for its June conference in Vigo, Spain, the steering committee of the International Fisheries Observer & Monitoring Conference (IFOMC) meet this week to review more than 200 abstracts received. They will then select speakers for the conference and finalize its program. “We are very happy with the participation and we expect a high attendance” states Gabriel Gómez Celaya, general manager of the Spanish company Marine Instruments and member of the steering committee.
According to a news release issued by Marine Instruments, the IFOMC will last five days with panel sessions, scientific posters and workshops. In Vigo, the Landing Obligation will play a special role, with a full-day workshop to discuss its implications at a European level. The aim of the landing obligation is to progressively eliminate discards in all European Union fisheries through its enforcement.
Another workshop will focus on emerging electronic monitoring technologies and their future. Marine Instruments is a provider of EM services and recently allied with Archipelago Marine Research, another leading provider based in British Columbia.
According to conference sponsors, organizers have prepared a social program with the possibility of visiting the fish market or shipyards. For the moment, the conference has the support of different international sponsors such as the NOAA (National Marine Fisheries Service), DTU Aqua (National Institute of Aquatic Resources), ISSF (International Foundation for Sustainable Fisheries), Alaskan Observers Inc. and the EFCA (European Fisheries Control Agency). Likewise, the company Pescachile has confirmed the sponsorship of an observer, that means that one observer from anywhere in the world will be able to attend the conference for free.
The event will be held between June 11 and 15 at the Pazo de los Escudos Hotel. More information at www.ifomcvigo.com.
