European Fisheries Control Agency - EFCA

22/10/2026

📰 New press release

EFCA Administrative Board adopts Work Programme and Budget for 2027

🔗https://bit.ly/4hYcYwx

21/10/2026

Today in Vigo: FishConTech!

EFCA’s first Industry Day on innovative technologies for fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance brings fisheries control authorities, European partners and technology developers together.

🔎 Discovering what innovation can bring to fisheries control.

19/10/2026

🇩🇪 Leonardo | 🇮🇹 Anastasia | 🇳🇱 Lyasmin | 🇷🇴 Carina | 🇪🇸 Anja

Meet EFCA’s new trainees! 👋

This autumn, five trainees from across Europe joined us for a five-month traineeship, bringing different backgrounds, perspectives and skills to the Agency.

Working alongside colleagues across our units, they will have the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice and discover how a decentralised EU agency works with Member States to support the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy.

From their first days in Vigo to a recent visit to Brussels, their EFCA journey is already underway.

Welcome to the team! 🌊

19/10/2026

From the port to the meeting table. 🐟

A visit to Vigo calls for a taste of EFCA’s work on the ground!

We were pleased to welcome Fernando Andresen Guimarães, Director for International Ocean Governance and Sustainable Fisheries at DG MARE, European Commission. The day began early at the fish market, followed by a visit to EFCA and a look at our work at sea aboard the , our operational patrol vessel.

A chance to see Galicia’s fisheries sector up close before turning to the challenges and opportunities ahead for fisheries control.

16/10/2026

Innovation meets fisheries control. 🔍

Today at the Port of Vigo, we have officially presented FishConTech, a new forum designed to connect fisheries control authorities with technology developers.

From electronic monitoring to aerial surveillance systems, the event will showcase innovative solutions that could help shape the future of fisheries control across Europe.

📍 Vigo, 21 October

More info: https://www.efca.europa.eu/en/hubs-explorer/news/FishConTech

13/10/2026

Last week, we were delighted to participate in the 4th Copernicus Contributing Missions (CCM) Workshop at ESA-ESRIN.

Emerging Earth observation technologies offer powerful capabilities for fisheries control. During the three-day workshop, we shared our perspective on how CCM services could support fisheries surveillance and how EFCA contributes operational expertise to drive innovation and turn data into actionable insights at sea.

13/10/2026

Closing operational gaps through teamwork

European Coast Guard authorities, the European Commission and EU agencies convened at the European Coast Guard Functions Forum Plenary Conference to discuss how to turn dialogue into operational results.

Frontex shared the outcome of its maritime drone capabilities workshop:
➡️ Technology alone will not close operational gaps - cooperation will

The participants agreed that effective cooperation means turning shared challenges into shared solutions. Only in this way can Europe's maritime community be prepared for what comes next.

13/10/2026

Although they have different responsibilities, cooperation at sea matters.

Frontex supports Member States in managing the EU’s external borders, while EFCA supports fisheries control.

Together with EMSA, Frontex and EFCA collaborate on European coast guard functions through information sharing, conducting maritime surveillance, providing trainings, risk analysis and capacity building.

Bringing together complementary expertise and services enables EU agencies to better support national authorities working at sea.

It was a good opportunity to meet our colleagues in Vigo and demonstrate how various EU mandates can contribute to a shared European effort at sea.

09/10/2026

🇪🇺🇵🇹 We were pleased to welcome Portugal's Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea, Salvador Malheiro, together with representatives of the Portuguese fisheries administration, to EFCA headquarters in Vigo today.

The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the growing importance of cooperation in fisheries control and the role that Member States play in supporting a coordinated European approach.

Through active engagement in EFCA’s activities, Member States contribute to stronger fisheries control, share expertise and resources, and help build a common European capacity for sustainable fisheries management.

09/10/2026