Dr Leyla Knittweis-Mifsud, lecturer in Fisheries Science and Fish Biology at the Department of Biology, has been appointed as vice chair of the European Commission's Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries ().
After a very competitive selection procedure, the European Commission recently selected independent experts from around Europe to serve on its technical fisheries advisory committee for the period 2019-2022. Committee members are experts in marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, and aquaculture. STECF routinely advises the European Commission in areas related to the conservation and management of marine living resources, including biological, economic, environmental, social and technical aspects related to the implementation of the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy.
Dr Knittweis-Mifsud is experienced in the collection, management and use of fisheries data, and has been attending STECF Expert Working Groups (EWGs) since 2009. She chaired the STECF EWG on assessing balance between fishing fleet capacity and fishing opportunities in European waters in 2014-2016 and has been a permanent STECF member since 2016. In her new role of vice chair Dr. Knittweis-Mifsud joins the STECF Bureau hosted by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre () to provide technical support and facilitate the efficient functioning of the STECF and its EWGs.
