A major event for world fisheries was the adoption of a Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries by the FAO membership on 31 October 1995.

Fisheries, including aquaculture, provide a vital source of food, employment, recreation, trade and economic well-being for people throughout the world, both for present and future generations and should therefore be conducted in a responsible manner. Fisheries usually represent a particularly valuable natural resource which make the need for their conservation an even higher priority. The Code sets out principles and international standards of behaviour for responsible practices with a view to ensuring the effective conservation and management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity. It also recognizes the nutritional, economic, social, environmental and cultural importance of fisheries, as well as the interests of those concerned with the fishery sector, the resource users from fishers throughout the chain to the consumers.

The Code has 12 articles covering various general and specific subjects and the one of special interest to readers of the FISHCRESS Newsletter is Article 11 dealing with post-harvest practices and trade.

Responsible fish utilization is one of the main chapters of this article, claiming the consumer's' right to safe, wholesome and unadulterated fish and fishery products. It refers to the work of the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission and calls on States to promote the implementation of quality standards agreed therein. Those involved in the processing and marketing of fish and fishery products are encouraged to reduce post-harvest losses and waste, to improve the use of by-catch to the extent that this is consistent with responsible fisheries management practices and to use resources such as water and energy, in particular wood, in an environmentally sound manner. The manufacture of value-added fishery products by developing countries is advocated and States are requested to ensure that domestic and international trade in fishery products accord with sound conservation and management practices. This latter remark points towards the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Convention can limit, regulate and prohibit trade in these species and products therefrom if they are listed in one of the Annexes.

The debate of the FAO membership related to the remaining two chapters of Article 11 (Responsible International Trade, and Laws and Regulations relating to Fish Trade) was strongly influenced by the intention not to create clauses which would contrast with provisions issued under the Agreements leading to the Establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to make it clear that the formulation of trade rules is the prerogative of the WTO. The Code also states that policies and practices related to the promotion of international fish trade and export production should not result in environmental degradation or adversely impact the nutritional rights and needs of people for whom fish is critical to their health and well-being and for whom other comparable sources of food are not readily available or affordable.

According to the Code, laws, regulations and administrative procedures applicable to international fish trade should be transparent, as simple as possible, comprehensible and, when appropriate, based on scientific evidence. They should be reviewed periodically and simplified without jeopardizing their effectiveness. In cases where regulations are changed, sufficient time should be allowed for preparing the implementation of the Code and consultation with affected countries would be desirable. In this connection the Code stipulates that due consideration be given to requests from developing countries for temporary derogations from obligations.

Copies of the full text of the Code of Conduct can be obtained from the FAO Fisheries Department in Rome or through APRACA Consultancy Services, Jakarta.