Following the information that has appeared in the public domain regarding mussel harvesting, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (ANPA), provides the following clarifications:

In the Midia – Năvodari port basin, representatives of the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture conduct constant supervision and control activities. A mobile office with the necessary equipment is stationed at this location, where representatives of the Maritime Policies and Inspections Directorate carry out supervision, inspection, and control activities of fishing activities, including electronic monitoring through VMSA and ERS.

The supervision of the aforementioned areas is also carried out on all dikes and quays of the port basins, with operations concluding in control reports on land.

To date, ANPA inspectors have completed 17 control reports in 2024 for on-land activities in the Midia – Năvodari port, where no activities of mussel or whelk harvesting in the port basin were identified.

For each landing of fish, mollusks, or other fishing products, a fishing log is completed, mentioning the following:

the authorized economic agent, species, quantity harvested, place fished, place of landing, a document that is reported within 48 hours to ANPA and serves as the basis for issuing the fiscal invoice for the products to be marketed.

ANPA cannot assume responsibility for the quantities of mollusks purchased by buyers from unauthorized sources without certified provenance documents, fiscal invoices, and traceability.

Through its controls, ANPA ensures compliance with the classified zones in the Black Sea for harvesting live bivalve mollusks. Legal harvesting of mollusks can only be done from zones classified by the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA). In 2024, ANPA conducted eight controls at dispatch centers to verify the traceability of fishing products.

Based on the national protocol between the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture and the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, there is a constant exchange of information regarding the analyses performed.

Data provided by ANSVSA, based on samples taken from mollusk and crustacean dispatch centers, showed that the analysis reports complied with national and European standards of the analyzed parameters.

Regarding the legislation for the concession of water surfaces, we clarify that the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, and the National Administration Romanian Waters have the legal possibility to lease water surfaces for the establishment of mussel farms.

Discussions between ANPA and representatives of the employers, along with the Dobrogea Litoral Water Basin Administration Constanța, focus on modifying the tariffs and the lease/concession period to allow the implementation of investment projects with European funds. The new fishing law, which is pending promulgation, includes provisions for marine aquaculture activities.

Given the above, ANPA informs that it does not have competencies regarding the investigation of poaching activities but collaborates with the competent authorities, providing them with all the information it possesses in this regard. (Photo: Freepik)