The European Commission has appointed Dutch biologist Jurgen Batsleer as their new Science and Policy Officer. Photo: Wageningen Marine Research
The European Commission has appointed Jurgen Batsleer, a 42-year-old Dutch marine researcher, as their new Science and Policy Officer.
Mr Batsleer has previously been working at Wageningen Marine Research as a Senior Fisheries Scientist between 2017 and November 2023.
Batsleer was the first scientist to join the Dutch fishing organisation VisNed in 2014 where he held the role as Science and Policy Advisor between 2014 and 2017. From 2009 to 2016 he was a PhD student at Wageningen University and Research Centre.
His profile says that during his MSc study, he specialised in marine biology and got intrigued by the relationship between man and the sea. He completed his PhD research project at Wageningen University focusing on the implications of fisheries management on socioeconomic and environmental impacts of fisheries. He evaluated policy scenarios, such as the EU landing obligation on the basis of statistical analysis and individual-based ecological models.
From 2014 to 2017 he worked as a scientist with the Dutch demersal fishing industry. In this role he was responsible for the scientific agenda, and development of research and monitoring projects.
In his role at Wageningen Marine Research he worked contributing to stock assessments (flatfish and elasmobranchii) and research in fisheries behaviour.
According to Dutch news outlet Visserij Nieuws he is currently “closely” involved in the trilateral negotiations between the EU, Norway and the United Kingdom.
