Meet our previous chairs
Sven Stötera
RCG Baltic (2020-2022)
sven.stoetera@thuenen.de
Current position
Sven Stötera is currently working as a fisheries biologist at the Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries in Rostock, Germany. He is focusing on stock assessments, mainly Baltic Sea flatfishes. Also researching on stock discrimination methods, otolith stable isotopes and microchemistry. He is member in several ICES Working groups and responsible for most commercial fisheries data calls.
Background
He studied biology and Fisheries science at the Hamburg university. After finishing his M.Sc., he worked in geotechnology and –analytics, before starting to work at Thünen as a fisheries scientist in 2012. Beside the scientific work there, he also conducted his doctorate on new stock discrimination methods in Baltic Sea cod between 2014 and 2017.
Role in RCG
Member of the RCG (RCM) Baltic since 2013, participated in subgroups and planning group for the change from RCM to RCG and afterwards as member of several ISSGs since 2016. Chair of the ISSG for RDB overviews from 2018 to 2020.
Chair for the RCG Baltic since 2020.
Harriët Van Overzee
RCG NANSEA (2020-2022)
Harriet.vanoverzee@wur.nl
Current position
Fisheries scientist at Wageningen Marine Research (WMR)
- Project manager of the Dutch DCF onboard fisheries monitoring programme, including monitoring of onboard demersal active vessels, pelagic trawlers and demersal passive vessels
- Project researcher in several fisheries related projects (both national and international).
Background
Harriet has over 12 years of experience in fisheries data collection and has executed a number of (international) projects including work on discards, seasonal closures and the pulse fishery. She has participated in the RCG NANSEA and in a number of ICES and STECF Expert Working Groups.
Role in RCG
Harriet currently holds the position as co-chair of the RCG NANSEA. She is also active in the ISSG case study on freezer trawler fleet exploiting pelagic fisheries in the NEA and the ISSG Optimized and Operational Regional Sampling Plans.
Lucía Zarauz
RCG NANSEA (2019-2021)
lzarauz@azti.es
Current position
Researcher in the Marine Research Division of AZTI, Lucía works in the coordination of Basque commercial and recreational fisheries data collection (DCF), and the respond to international Data Calls. She is also involved in the international coordination of data collection.
Background
PhD in plankton ecology, Lucía has over 12 years of experience in fisheries data collection and has executed a number of national and international projects related with fisheries data collection for both commercial and recreational fisheries. She is member of several international working groups (WGRDBES-GOV, WGCATCH, STECF)
Role in RCG
Lucía has co-chaired the RCG NANSEA during the period 2019 – 2021. At present she is co–chairing the ISSG “RDB catch, effort and sampling overviews.” with Ana Claudia Fernandes.
Elo Rasmann
RCG Baltic (2019-2021)
elo.rasmann@agri.ee
Current position
National Correspondent for Estonia. Working as an advisor in Fishery Resources Department at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture in Estonia.
Background
Graduated at University of Tartu with a master’s degree in the field of Zoology and hydrobiology (bird ecology). National correspondent for data collection and responsible for implementing the fisheries data collection, management and control since 2016.
Role in RCG
Involved in regional coordination of data collection since 2016. Active member of several RCGs (Baltic, NANSEA and since 2022 LDF) and takes also part in intersessional subgroups work. Co-chair of RCG Baltic for the period 2019-2021.
Mathieu Depetris
RCG LP (2020-2021)
mathieu.depetris@ird.fr
Current position
Until today, Mathieu Depetris is a fisheries data analyst in the Exploited Tropical Pelagic Ecosystems Observatory of the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development. His working scope is the monitoring of the French tropical tuna fleet, deployed in the Indian and Atlantic oceans (data collection, validation, storage and data analyses associated).
Background
He has a double background in “marine biology” and statistics. These skills have led him to work in the Ifremer’s Fisheries Information System as a statistician, in a French Marine Protected Area where he contributed to the development of indicators, or in a clinical research institute as data-manager. He was also involved in some EU projects like the RECOLAPE project and currently in the FishNCo and SECWEB projects.
Role in RCG
Involve in the RCG LP since 2018, he brings his expertise on LP fisheries regarding the French tropical tunas fishery. Furthermore, he is involved in two RCG subgroups, the sub-ISSG Tropical Tuna Treatment and the ISSG focus on the regional database development.
Ivana Vukov
RCG Med&BS (2020-2021)
ivana.vukov@mps.hr
Current position
National Correspondent for Croatia. Head of Unit for Data Collection Programme in Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Fisheries in Croatia.
Background
Graduated at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb with a master’s degree in the field of biology (ecology). National correspondent for data collection since 2013 and involved in the fisheries data collection, management and control since 2011.
Role in RCG
Serving as a link between Member States in the Mediterranean and Back Sea and end users of scientific data in fulfilling a common goal of strengthening regional cooperation in the area of data collection, provision of scientific data for the main purpose of sound fisheries management and sustainability.
Main focus on data collection in recreational fisheries, and establishing communication channels for the collection of ecosystem data, including data on bycatch of vulnerable species.
Monika Gambino
RCG ECON (2020-2021)
gambino@nisea.eu
Current position
Senior Researcher and project manager at NISEA Società Cooperativa, Economic research and statistics in Fishery and Aquaculture, Italy.
Background
Economist with extensive experience in the analysis of socio-economic aspects of European fisheries. Since 1999 she has participated in numerous research projects and she has taken part in a number of FAO, EC STECF and OCED working groups on fishery data collection. Since 2021 she is vice president of the European Association of Fisheries Economists (EAFE).
Role in RCG
As task leader of FishNCo (MARE/2020/08) project, responsible for compiling the Regional Work Plan for economic data and for a Comparative analysis on capital value and capital cost estimation within the RCG ECON.
Irina Davidjuka
RCG ECON (2021-2022)
irina.davidjuka@bior.lv
Current position
Economist
Background
2003 – 2007 Fishing activity data accounting, transmission and analysis for Latvian fishing vessels.
2008 – 2021 Socioeconomic Data Collection coordination, data analysis and transmission for Latvian fishing, aquaculture and fish processing sectors.
Dália Reis
RCG NANSEA (2021-2023)
dalia.cc.reis@azores.gov.pt
Current position
Background
Role in RCG
Heidi Pokki
RCG ECON (2022-2023)
heidi.pokki@luke.fi
Current position
Heidi Pokki works in the Natural Resources Institute Finland as a Senior Scientist and Group Manager in the Bioeconomy accounting group in Statistical Services Unit. She is involved in the economic and social data collection of the Finnish fleet, aquaculture, and fish processing sectors.
Background
Heidi has a Doctor’s Degree on Agriculture and Forestry including dissertation in Environmental Economics (fisheries) and Master’s degree on Economics and Business Administration in the field of Economics. She works as a fisheries economist and has been involved in the economic data collection of fisheries since 2010.
Role in RCG
Heidi will be co-chairing the RCG ECON with Irina Davidjuka in 2022 and with some new candidate in 2023. She will be co-ordinating and facilitating the RCG ECON meetings in 2022-2023 period and participating in the ISSG work for RCG ECON.
Irek Wójcik
RCG LDF(2020-2023)
iwojcik@mir.gdynia.pl
Current position
Head of Department of Logistics & Monitoring at National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Gdynia, Poland. National Correspondent (DCF) since 2015.
Background
Msc Eng. marine fisheries, biologist. In charge of DCF in Poland since 2011.
Role in RCG
Chair. Coordinator of joint sampling programmes for the EU long distance vessels fishing for small pelagics in the CECAF and SPRFMO areas.