On 19-20.10.2017, in the office of the BlSAC in Varna, the second meeting of Working Group ‘Internal and external cooperation and social effect of fishing in the Black Sea took place. The meeting was organized and held in accordance with the following Agenda:

Day 1 

1. Review of the data on employment in the fisheries sector, received from the Romanian members.
2. Review of the data provided by the Bulgarian administration
3. Discussion of the data

а) comparative analysis of the situation in the two countries
b) positive and negative trends in the past 3 years
c) possible causes - opinions

Day 2

1. Summarizing the discussion from the previous day - conclusions
2. Discussing possibilities for investigating European practices
3. Mapping out the next steps and tasks
4. Setting the date for the next meeting

The members of the working group adopted a resolution and assigned the Secretariat with the urgent task to attract the services of the scientists Prof. Simeon Nikolaev from the Institute for Marine Research and Development ‘Grigor Antipa’, and Assoc. Prof. Violin Raykov from the Institute of Oceanology in Varna, to prepare an experts’ report on the issues connected with the white rapa whelk and white mussel, respectively.  The specific research task shall be prepared by the Secretariat in the offices in Romania and Bulgaria, and to be assigned to the scientists to report at the upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting, which is scheduled for 20th and 21st November 2017.