Tim Heddema succeeds Gerard van Balsfoort as PFA president
10th January 2022
Tim Heddema (pictured above, left) has been appointed as the new president of the Pelagic Freezer- Trawler Association (PFA), which represents the interests of nine European pelagic freezer-trawler companies that fish for human consumption.
He succeeds Gerard van Balsfoort, who has been PFA president since 2006. Tim Heddema joined the PFA as vice-president last August, after a civil service career in which he most recently served as an agriculture and fisheries diplomat at the Dutch embassy in London, and at the Dutch Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.
Tim Heddema said: “It is a great pleasure to take over the PFA presidency. I want the PFA to continue to be a strong voice, at a crucial time for fisheries management in the North East Atlantic and North Sea areas.
“In a post-Brexit world, we must all work hard to strengthen the ties between all stakeholders, in the interest of sustainable and responsible fisheries.
“The PFA thanks Gerard van Balsfoort for his many years of leadership and tireless commitment to the pelagic fishing sector. Gerard has laid the best possible foundation for our team to achieve our goals, and I am pleased that despite his retirement he will keep supporting us in the background.” Gerard van Balsfoort has been a leading figure in the European pelagic sector for the past 16 years. He played a key role during the Brexit negotiations, representing the interests of the fishing fleets of nine EU states as chairman of the European Fisheries Alliance (EUFA).
This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.
