Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs meets the EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki

The EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and Minister for Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Berg-Hansen held political talks today in Bergen.  Matters discussed at the meeting included the reform of EU's common fisheries policy, trade in seafood and management of our common fish stocks. Special attention was paid to the coastal states' mackerel negotiations during the discussions. These negotiations will continue in London tomorrow.

EU Commissioner Maria Damanaki visited Norway to discuss important common challenges faced by Norway and the EU in the fisheries sector and to learn more about the seafood industry and management in Norway. Yesterday, Damanaki and Berg-Hansen visited the Directorate of Fisheries and the Institute of Marine Research. Following today's political discussions, they will travel to the municipality of Austevoll, where they will meet representatives of the fishing and aquaculture industries.

"It is very useful to have a direct dialogue about important fisheries and maritime policy issues. The commissioner and I share the view that we must work together in the production of safe, high quality seafood within sustainable limits, both with regard to harvesting of our common resources and the aquaculture industry.

The partnership also encourages us to discuss challenging issues, and we have both emphasised that we want to find a new long-term solution for the management of mackerel", said Minister for Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, after the political discussions.

"In order to achieve our target of sustainable seafood production, it is vital that the overcapacity in the fishing fleet is reduced, and Norway has long experience of various methods for doing so," added Berg-Hansen. The reform proposed by Damanaki this summer signalled a new direction for the EU and its common fisheries policy. "I fully support the commissioner's efforts to ensure sustainable fisheries management. I am especially pleased about the proposal of introducing a ban on discarding of fish," says the minister for fisheries and coastal affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen.

The EU is our closest market for seafood, and 60% of Norway's total seafood exports go to the EU. At the same time, Norway is the largest supplier to the EU, with a market share of 20% of the total supply to the EU seafood market.