October 2021

The 15th of October is the International Rural Women’s Day, and the Balearic Government joined the celebration by organizing the first Day of the Equality Plan of the Balearic Islands (Spain).

The primary sector is represented by women in the agricultural, livestock, fishing and agri-food sectors. Of all the sub-sectors, according to the statistics of the Balearic Government, it is in the fishing sector where the presence of women is a minority, with only 2% of women crewing boats and 7% of women working in the value chain of the fishing sector.

The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mae de la Concha, opened the conference explaining the importance of strengthening the leadership and visibility of women in the sectors that comprise the primary sector. “Women have always been there, but not as owners of farms, as owners, as full wage earners, nor are they on many social security lists, and they often have ridiculous pensions, after a lifetime of work, not only in the fields and the sea, but also taking care of the house and the family”.

Anna Masdeu Lalanza, LIFE coordinator in Balearic Islands participated in the first women’s round based on women’s leadership in the primary sector, contributing her vision of the role of women in the Mediterranean fishing sector, as well as her experience as a woman in the agri-food and fishing sector in which she has spent her career as a professional.

Fisherwomen from Ibiza and Menorca gave their testimonies, emphasizing the need to reconcile their fishing schedules with their families, and the need for social or economic aid to be able to continue carrying out this productive activity that they are passionate about and do not want to give up.

The Director General of Fisheries of the Balearic Islands, Joan Mercant, the president of the Balearic federation of fishermen’s guilds, Domingo Bonin, and the president of the Spanish federation of fishermen’s guilds, Basilio Ortega, coincided in valuing the role of women in the fishing sector.

The head of the office of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mar Mas, presented the Balearic Islands Equality Plan as a tool for cooperatives, fishermen’s guilds and agricultural organizations to promote the participation and presence of women in decision-making in the primary sector in the Balearic Islands.

Prizes were awarded in the 2nd “From the sea and the land” photography competition, with two young fisherwomen from Ciudadela (Menorca) winning three prizes in the fishing category.

You can watch the recording of the event here.

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) is a European platform uniting small-scale fishers (SSF) to achieve fair fisheries, healthy seas and vibrant communities. LIFE is an organization of organizations from across Europe, providing a dedicated voice for its members, supporting them to organize regionally, and building their capacity at national and local level both as small producers and as agents of change.

LIFE is currently seeking an experienced, self-motivated and multi-skilled candidate to fulfil the role of Baltic and North Sea (BANS) Regional Coordinator. LIFE has 10 member organizations in the BANS region, from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Finland, Latvia, Netherlands and France.

The BANS Coordinator will work remotely, but in close collaboration with LIFE’s Brussels office.

Main Tasks and Duties

• Follow closely the fisheries policy making agenda in the region, especially the agenda and work programmes of the relevant consultative bodies including the regional Advisory Councils, Baltfish Forum, HELCOM, the Scheveningen Group and others.
• Provide effective support for LIFE’s members and other small-scale fishers to prepare position papers and articulate messages to be transmitted at national, regional and European level
• Establish strategic alliances with like-minded groups – NGOs, scientists, academia, and others to promote small-scale low impact fishing
• Advise and support LIFE members and other small-scale fisher associations to establish Fish Producer Organizations and other structures to enable them to secure improved access to fishing opportunities and markets
• Initiate, promote and engage in capacity building workshops, exchange of best practices, cooperation with scientists and partners, and projects to develop solutions to problems facing small-scale low impact fishers
• Promote LIFE at regional level

Fisheries Affairs

• Monitor regional consultative bodies and support and encourage the participation of LIFE’s members and other small-scale fishers in these, especially the regional Advisory Councils;
• Support LIFE’s members and other small-scale fishers to establish positions, articulate messages and disseminate them at local, regional and EU level
• Identify common interest and needs, promote initiatives, projects and co-operation among fishers in the Region
• Coordinate regional capacity building, develop networks of small-scale fishers and facilitate their presence at key meetings at both Member State and Brussels level

Meetings/Logistics

• Organise workshops, seminars, trainings, conferences, inter-fisher organisation meetings
• Carry out field work, visiting small-scale fishers organisations
• Keep track of annual regional planning and reporting timetable, work with LIFE’s Baltic and North Sea members to achieve shared objectives within agreed timelines
• Undertake the support of particular projects in consultation with LIFE’s Executive Secretary

Administrative/Reporting

• Manage the day to day administrative operations of LIFE’s Baltic and North Sea members
• Act as a conduit of communication to Board of Directors, Members of LIFE and LIFE’s team
• Establish and maintain filing systems with reports and records.
• Work with LIFE’s Brussels Office to ensure adequate financial record keeping and reporting

Communication

• Act as a first point of contact for Regional external and internal queries
• Disseminate information about LIFE and increase membership
• Maintain up to date knowledge of LIFE’s work, in particular for activity reports, and maintain contact with similar regional organisations
• Maintain an active presence on social media
• Monitor regional media in relation to fisheries issues

Education & Experience

• Relevant fisheries background or equivalent experience OR Master’s Degree in Fisheries, Political Science, Economics, Communications, Environmental Affairs or equivalent professional experience
• Project management experience is considered an asset

Administration/Secretarial

• Experience of developing, operating and maintaining effective administrative systems
• Experience of and familiarity with Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) packages and video conferencing systems
• Experience of organizing and administering meetings, including minute taking
• Ability to understand, analyse and collate complex data in a meaningful way
• Project Management skills or experience preferable
• Experience working with a similar organisation

Logistics

Ability to organize conferences, meetings (travel, accommodation, venue, catering, etc)

Communication

• A high standard of written and oral communication skills
• Fluency in English (both written and verbal)
• Good knowledge of German and Polish; knowledge of a Scandinavian language is considered an asset
• Excellent minute-taking and drafting skills

Personal Qualities

• A high degree of motivation and professionalism
• Excellent inter-personal skills
• Respect for confidentiality at all times
• Ability to develop effective working relationships at all levels
• Ability to work unsupervised and with a high level of initiative
• Proactive, creative and flexible in finding solutions to problems
• Ability to remain calm and deliver to tight deadlines under pressure
• Takes in information and learns new skills quickly

Flexibility and reliability

• Personal belief in and support for the aims and objectives of LIFE
• Willingness to work unsocial hours and travelling if required Remuneration: 40K€ annual gross salary

Starting Date: Post to commence January 2022, or soon after

• This is a self-employed full time collaboration contract, renewable annually.
• Location: home based within the BANS project area

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your CV in English along with a covering letter to: deputy@lifeplatform.eu

Closing date for applications: November 13 2021

Next week, on Tuesday 11 October, the Council of Fisheries Ministers will meet to discuss the allocation of fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2022.

ICES advice on cod catches in the entire Baltic Sea for 2022 is a wake-up call and demands an appropriate response as a matter of urgency. This is something small scale low impact fishers in the Baltic Sea have been demanding for years. Despite falling catches over the last 20 years, falling recruitment has left cod stocks in a dire state.

The Baltic Sea Members of the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) call on the Commission and EU Baltic Sea Member States to secure the future of both the cod stock and the fishing communities around the Baltic Sea.

Baltic cod stocks are in a highly fragile and stressed state. They are assaulted from all sides, from both overfishing and from a hostile environment caused by pollution, predation (especially from seals and cormorants), intense competition for scarce food supplies, worm infestation, dredging and oxygen depletion. The fish are in a poor condition, with low growth and high mortality rates, and with low and ever declining levels of recruitment and stock size.

LIFE urges the Commission and Member States to take all necessary steps to realize the CFP objective to manage fisheries so as to achieve economic, social and employment benefits (Article 2.1).

Small-scale low impact fishing activities deliver the highest quality fish which commands the highest prices – the cream of the catch -, targeting medium-sized fish and largely avoiding by-catch. These activities must be given priority to safeguard livelihoods, to safeguard fish stocks, and to deliver fish to local markets. 90% of the fishing fleet in the Baltic is small in scale using low impact passive gears, but currently allocated just 7% of the catch.

LIFE urges that any cod quota should only be made available to small-scale low impact fishing as a by-catch quota, and catches should be prioritised for direct human consumption.

See here the letter LIFE wrote to Charlina Vitcheva, Director General of DG Mare.