COFI:FT/VIII/2002/Inf.9

 

COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES

SUB-COMMITTEE ON FISH TRADE

Item 11 of the Provisional Agenda

Eighth Session

Bremen, Germany, 12-16 February 2002

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON FISH TRADE OF THE FAO COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
A compilation from COFI and COFI:FT documents

 

Table of Contents

1. The foundation of the COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade were laid in the FAO World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development, 1984. This Conference anticipated that the multilateral framework for consultation in International Trade in fishery products would deal with market prospects, trading practices and criteria for fair trade, including the harmonization of inspection procedures and regulations. In 1985, COFI decided to establish a Sub-Committee on Fish Trade (COFI:FT), to take up this function, open to all member nations of the Organization.

2. The first meeting of the COFI:FT was held in 1986, biannual meetings followed, with the exemption of 1993, when budgetary reasons reduced the frequency. Since 1996, the biannual system has been reassumed. In average 50 countries, 100 delegations and 15 observers have participated in these meetings, which shows the keen interest in the work of the Sub-Committee.

3. Discussions during the various COFI Sub-Committee Meetings have been always lively and interesting. In various occasions, delegates expressed their appreciation of the quality of the technical discussion on fish trade policy during COFI:FT. The role of FAO in international fish trade, including the importance of supply of market information though the FISH INFOnetwork, has been one of the key discussion points in each meeting. Health and quality regulation governing fish trade and the successful training activities that FAO carried out in this field were reviewed in various occasions. The role of the COFI:FT as an International Commodity Body and technical projects to be proposed to the Common Fund for Commodities for funding, were discussed since the second meeting of COFI:FT. In recent year, fish trade, environment and sustainable fisheries development, have become more and more important as discussion items. In this respect, the debate on eco-labelling of fish and fish products was a very lively one. Subsidies and their impact on fish trade and sustainability were also reiterated in some length in recent COFI:FT meetings. The role of COFI:FT versus WTO and the importance of coordinating the work of various organizations working in the field of trade in fish and fish products was stressed in many COFI:FT meetings. Discussions on CITES listing criteria for marine commercial species also started off in COFI:FT.

ANNEX

1. The Foundations

1.1 From the Report of the FAO World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development, Rome, 27 June - 6 July 1984

1.2 The decision of COFI and its Sixteenth Session in April 1985

2. Sessions of the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade of the Committee on Fisheries

2.1 First Session, Rome, Italy, 7-10 October 1986
Attendance Countries 64 Delegates 115 Observers 15

2.2 Second Session, Rome, Italy, 24-27 October 1988
Attendance Countries 64 Delegates 129 Observers 14

2.3 Third Session, Rome, Italy, 4-7 September 1990
Attendance Countries 57 Delegates 96 Observers 9

2.4 Fourth Session, Rome, Italy, 5-8 October 1993
Attendance Countries 65 Delegates 133 Observers 12

2.5 Fifth Session, Bremen, Germany, 4-7 June 1996
Attendance Countries 35 Delegates 51 Observers 9

2.6 Sixth Session, Bremen, Germany, 3-6 June 1998
Attendance Countries 52 Delegates 107 Observers 25

2.7 Seventh Session, Bremen, Germany, 22-25 March 2000
Attendance Countries 53 Delegates 93 Observers 20

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON FISH TRADE OF THE FAO COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES

1. THE FOUNDATIONS

1.1 From the Report of the FAO World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development, Rome, 27 June - 6 July 1984

Multilateral Framework for Consultation in International Trade in Fishery Products

Such a framework would be developed along the lines of existing intergovernmental commodity groups and with a structure which would allow it to become eventually eligible to receive funding from the Second Account of the UNCTAD Common Fund of Commodities. The establishment of an intergovernmental group on fishery products and its financial and other implications will be the subject of separate study by FAO. It is anticipated that the intergovernmental group could deal with market prospects, trading practices and criteria for fair trade, including the harmonization of inspection procedures and regulations. It could be a forum for exchanging views on technical issues of international trade in fish and fish products and for discussing possible solutions. The work of the group could also contribute to constructive debates in other fora, particularly if both government and industry are represented. The group might also regularly review barriers to trade but discussions and negotiations regarding their reduction or elimination will only take place within the established arrangements of UNCTAD and GATT.

Within this Programme of Action, specific studies will be made, for example, on the possibilities of improving the structure of international trade of fish and fishery products; on barter trade possibilities as a means of fish export promotion; on arrangements for financing exports and inventories. It is expected that several international organizations, notably ITC and OECD, will contribute to such studies or even agree to undertake some of them. Those activities, together with other studies which might eventually be identified, could provide the basis for a programme of market development activities which could in due course be financed from resources of the UNCTAD Common Fund of Commodities.

1.2 The decision of COFI at its Sixteenth Session in April 1985

The Committee agreed with option (b) to establish a sub-committee on fish trade to serve as a multilateral framework for consultations on international trade in fishery products. Its membership and terms of reference will be as follows:

Membership

Membership in the sub-committee will be open to all Member Nations of the Organization. Non-member states of the Organization that are members of the United Nations, of any of its specialized agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency, may be admitted by the Council of the Organization to membership in the sub-committee.

Terms of Reference

The sub-committee shall provide a forum for consultations on technical and economic aspects of international trade in fish and fishery products including pertinent aspects of production and consumption. In particular, the work of the sub-committee will include:

    1. Periodic reviews of the situation and outlook of principal fishery commodity markets covering all factors influencing them;
    2. On the basis of special studies, discussion of specific fish trade problems and possible solutions;
    3. Discussion of suitable measures to promote international trade in fish and fishery products and formulation of recommendations to improve the participation of developing countries in this trade, including trade related services;
    4. In conjunction with the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, formulation of recommendations for the promotion of international quality standards and the harmonization of quality control and inspection procedures and regulation;
    5. Consultation and formulation of recommendations for economically viable fishery commodity development, including processing methods, the upgrading of products and production of final products in developing countries.

2. SESSIONS OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON FISH TRADE OF THE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES

2.1 First Session, Rome, Italy, 7-10 October 1986

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

COFI:FT/I/86/1 Annotated provisional agenda and timetable

2 Development of international trade in fishery products, 1960-1985

3 1986 situation and outlook of main fishery commodity markets

4 FAO's activities in international fish trade

5 Activities of international organizations other than FAO in the field of international trade in fishery products

6 Review of current problems in international trade in fishery products

7 Enhancing product quality in international fish trade

8 Selected product and market opportunities in international fish trade

9 The role of non-monetary and indirect transactions in international fish trade

2.2 Second Session, Rome, Italy, 24-27 October 1988

LIST OF DOCUMENT

COFI:FT/II/88/1 Provisional annotated agenda and timetable

2 Report on recent developments in world fish trade

3 Fish trade between developing countries and opportunities for its expansion

4 Health and quality regulations governing fish trade

5 Opportunities for fishery products and marketing development

6 Draft proposal for a Technical Assistance Programme for Fishery Commodities and Marketing Development

2.3 Third Session, Rome, Italy, 4-7 September 1990

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

COFI:FT/III/90/1 Provisional annotated agenda and timetable

2 Report on recent developments in world fish trade

3 Developments regarding the Common Fund for Commodities

4 Technical Assistance Programme for Fishery Commodities and  Marketing Development: Project package for submission to the Common Fund for Commodities

4 Add. Technical Assistance Programme for Fishery Commodities and  Marketing Development: Comments by the INFOFISH Industry  Consultation on Trade

2.4 Fourth Session, Rome, Italy, 5-8 October 1993

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

COFI:FT/IV/93/1 Provisional annotated agenda and timetable

2 Report on recent developments in world fish trade

3 Availability of fish supplies for international trade

4 Promotion of joint ventures and investment in fisheries

5 Product and market opportunities for fish trade among developing countries

6 Fish trade impediments and criteria for fair trade

7 International trade, environment and sustainable fisheries development

8 Progress report on the implementation of the Fishery Commodities Enhancement Programme

2.5 Fifth Session, Bremen, Germany, 4-7 June 1996

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

COFI:FT/V/96/1 Provisional annotated agenda and timetable

2 Report on important recent events concerning international trade in fishery products

3 Implications of the results of the Uruguay Round and the creation of the World Trade Organization for international fish trade

4 Current trends and possible developments in the exploitation of fishery resources and their implications for trade

5 Issues of international trade, environment and sustainable fisheries development

6 International cooperation and investment for fish trade development

7 The Sub-Committee on Fish Trade as International Commodity Body for fishery products and its relationship with the Common Fund for Commodities

2.6 Sixth Session, Bremen, Germany, 3-6 June 1998

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

COFI:FT/VI/98/1 Provisional agenda and timetable

2 Report on important recent events concerning trade in fisheries products

3 Issues of international trade, environment and sustainable development: status of fisheries resources exploitation

4 Issues of international trade, environment and sustainable development: fisheries management, subsidies and international fish trade

5 Issues of international trade, environment and sustainable fisheries development: report on sustainable shrimp aquaculture and trade

6 Issues of international trade, environment and sustainable development: biotechnology developments and international trade in fishery products

7 Issues of international trade, environment and sustainable development: trade in fisheries services

8 Fisheries commodities development strategy

9 The Sub-Committee on fish trade as International Commodity Body for fish products and its relationship with the Common Fund for Commodities

2.7 Seventh Session, Bremen, Germany, 22-25 March 2000

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

COFI:FT/VII/2000/1 Provisional Agenda and Timetable

2 Status and important recent events concerning international trade  in fishery products

3 Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries - Responsible fish trade

3 Suppl. Draft FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries: Responsible International Trade - Laws and Regulations relating  to Fish Trade

4 Globalization and implications for international fish trade and  food security

5 Implementation of World Trade Organization Agreements and Multilateral Trade Negotiations: Agreements on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade and on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures

6 Implementation of World Trade Organization Agreements and Multilateral Trade Negotiations: Ongoing multilateral trade negotiations and FAO training programme

7 Safety and quality of fishery products

8 Subsidies and their effects on fish trade

9 Issues of sustainable resource use and international fish trade

10 COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade as International Commodity Body and its relationship with the Common Fund for Commodities

11 Implementation of the FAO Strategic Framework - Trade Aspects