FOR APPROVAL/ENDORSEMENT
The Committee:
Draft Strategy
for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries
i) Approved the draft Strategy, attached as Appendix H, as an important framework for improving information on status and trends of fisheries and recommended its further approval by the FAO Council.
(para. 65)
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing
i) Recommended that IUU fishing be included in the Agenda of the Thirty-second Session of the FAO Conference with a view to calling attention of Members to this issue.
(para. 110)
Implementation of the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement
i) Agreed that the Director-General of FAO should enter into consultation with the United Nations Secretary-General with a view to defining practical modalities for the implementation of the (Part VII) trust fund.
(para. 27)
FOR DECISION/INFORMATION
Achievements of Major Programme 2.3 Fisheries 2000-2002
i) Commended FAO for the progress achieved in the implementation of the work under the Major Programme 2.3 Fisheries.
(para. 11)
ii) Emphasized the importance of new challenges to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development and the key role required from the part of FAO under the guidance of the Committee.
(para. 11)
iii) Noted with concern the relative stagnation of funding for fisheries and requested that the Organization consider the feasibility of increasing its budgetary allocation to this important Major Programme from FAO Regular Programme resources.
(para. 11)
iv) Noted with satisfaction that FAO has strengthened its collaboration with other specialized international institutions or arrangements, such as WTO, ILO and CITES.
(para. 15)
Progress Report on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and Related International Plans of Actions and Making Monitoring, Control and Surveillance of Fishing Vessels more Effective
i) Recognized the crucial importance of the Code of Conduct and its related IPOAs in promoting long-term sustainable development in fisheries and aquaculture.
(para. 18)
ii) Urged FAO to broaden and deepen its efforts to promote the implementation of the Code of Conduct and its IPOAs, building on positive past experience.
(para. 18)
iii) Noted the first analysis based on sixteen case studies of Code of Conduct implementation, allowing a more substantive analysis of the challenges being faced in its implementation.
(para. 18)
iv) Encouraged Members to establish and implement national plans of action on sharks and seabirds.
(para. 19)
v) Agreed that strenuous efforts should be made to control fleet capacity, particularly that of large-scale fishing vessels, and, as appropriate, implement measures to reduce overcapacity and prevent it from migrating to other fully exploited or overexploited fisheries.
(para. 20)
vi) Noted the need to monitor fleet capacity of large scale fishing vessels on a global basis.
(para. 20)
vii) Expressed concern about the continuing high and growing incidence of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the lack of effective implementation of the IPOA–IUU.
(para. 21)
viii) Reaffirmed the need for the global implementation of measures against IUU fishing.
(para. 21)
ix) Agreed that there is a linkage between fleet overcapacity and IUU fishing.
(para. 23)
x) Endorsed a proposal by Japan that FAO should convene a Technical Consultation at FAO Headquarters in Rome in early 2004 to review progress and promote the full implementation of the IPOA–IUU and the IPOA-Capacity.
(para. 23)
xi) Agreed that this Consultation should not lead to the re-negotiation of the IPOAs on capacity and IUU fishing.
(para. 23)
xii) Endorsed the proposal of the Expert Consultation to convene a technical consultation to address substantive issues relating to the role of the port State to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing.
(para. 24)
xiii) Agreed that while taking into consideration existing work on sea turtle interactions and conservation, a Technical Consultation as proposed by Japan should be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2004.
(para. 25)
xiv) Agreed that the Director-General of FAO should enter into consultation with the United Nations Secretary-General with a view to defining practical modalities for the implementation of the (Part VII) trust fund.
(para. 27)
xv) Reviewed the current status of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and vessel monitoring systems (VMS) as tools for responsible fisheries management
(para. 28)
xvi) Recognized the need for international cooperation in making VMS more effective as part of the MCS toolkit and particularly for dealing with the serious and growing problems of IUU fishing.
(para. 29)
xvii) Noted the activities of the International MCS Network and encouraged Members to join in this voluntary effort.
(para. 31)
xviii) Agreed that FAO should continue to be closely involved with the work of the MCS Network, including provision of strengthened technical support for the coordination of communications and facilitation of awareness raising among Members for Network activities depending on the availability of resources to do so.
(para. 31)
xix) Welcomed advice by the ILO Representative that a convention on labour conditions on fishing vessels would be elaborated by ILO, commencing in 2003.
(para. 32)
xx) Noted that developing countries face difficulties with regard to capital and technical expertise and have often recourse to the establishment of joint ventures.
(para. 34)
Decisions and Recommendations on the Eighth Session of the COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade, Bremen, Germany, 12-16 February 2002
i) Expressed its satisfaction with the work of the Sub- Committee and the important role played by FAO in the field of fish trade.
(para. 36)
ii) Endorsed the report of the Eighth Session of the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade and provided a number of pertinent observations.
(para. 37)
iii) Decided to include as an agenda item for the Ninth Session of the Sub-Committee a report on the alleged link of the use of the fishmeal for animal feed to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
(para. 41)
iv) Indicated that FAO should continue the work on harmonization of catch certification schemes, and this should be put on the agenda of the next COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade.
(para. 43)
v) Expressed its appreciation for the generosity of the Hanseatic City of Bremen for hosting the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade and welcomed its offer to host the next Session of the Sub-Committee.
(para. 45)
vi) Acknowledged the work undertaken by the open-ended Friends of the Chair Group and expressed disappointment that consensus could not be reached on the draft MOU between FAO and the CITES Secretariat.
(para. 47)
vii) Adopted the Terms of Reference for the Ad Hoc Expert Advisory Panel for Assessment of Proposals to CITES, and the Work Plan as reproduced in Appendixes E and F.
(para. 48)
viii) Agreed that an open-ended informal group should continue work on the MOU at opportune times including at the Ninth Session of COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade in 2004, and to delegate the authority to finalize the draft FAO/CITES Secretariat MOU to the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade.
(para. 48)
ix) Acknowledged the offer by the delegations of Norway and Japan to provide extra-budgetary resources to organize the expert consultations on CITES related issues.
(para. 50)
Decisions and Recommendations on the First Session of COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture, Beijing, China, 18-22 April 2002
i) Endorsed the Report of the Sub-Committee.
(para. 51)
ii) Thanked the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Italy for hosting and supporting the First Session.
(para. 51)
iii) Appreciated the excellent work of the Sub-Committee and the Secretariat.
(para. 51)
iv) Recognized the importance of aquaculture as a means to increase fishery production, to generate income and foreign exchange, to help restore and relieve pressure on wild populations, to alleviate poverty, to increase food security and to provide for diversification of employment.
(para. 52)
v) Acknowledged that the expertise of FAO will be critical in developing science-based standards for the responsible development of aquaculture from culture to the finished products.
(para. 53)
vi) Appreciated the offer of Japan to create a Trust Fund for Aquaculture Development.
(para. 53)
vii) Agreed to further discuss issues related to prioritization and additional financial resources for aquaculture activities under agenda item 12 dealing with the FAO Programme of Work and Budget.
(para. 54)
viii) Noted the work of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA).
(para. 56)
ix) Supported continuation of the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture and thanked Norway for its offer to host the second Session in Norway from 7 to 11 August 2003.
(para. 58)
x) Noted that the USA was considering the possibility of hosting the third Session of the Sub-Committee.
(para. 58)
Outcome of the Technical Consultation on Improving Information on the Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries, Rome, 25–28 March 2002
i) Reaffirmed that improved data and information are of fundamental importance for effective policy-making and fisheries management, essential for implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and central to the mandate of FAO
(para. 62)
ii) Stressed that high priority should be given to capacity-building and the provision of technical assistance to developing countries, as emphasised in the draft Strategy.
(para. 63)
iii) Recognized the need for improved regional cooperation in improving data and information on status and trends of fisheries and the roles of regional fishery bodies and FAO as stated in the draft Strategy.
(para. 64)
iv) Approved the draft Strategy, attached as Appendix H, as an important framework for improving information on status and trends of fisheries and recommended its further approval by the FAO Council.
(para. 65)
v) Recognized the need for additional funding requirements for implementation of the Strategy
(para. 66)
vi) Endorsed the proposal to seek extra-budgetary funds from donors for projects implementating the Strategy under the FishCode Programme.
(para. 66)
vii) Noted the offer by the United States of America and Japan that they would make financial contribution to promote the implementation of the Strategy.
(para. 66)
viii) Recommended that the Secretariat should monitor the implementation of the Strategy as an integral component of monitoring implementation of the Code of Conduct and its related instruments, and report back regularly to COFI.
(para. 67)
Conclusions and Recommendations of the FAO Expert Consultation on Identifying, Assessing and Reporting on Subsidies in the Fishing Industry, Rome, Italy,
3-6 December 2002
i) Appreciated the work undertaken by the Secretariat on this issue and noted the Report of the Expert Consultation as well as the conclusions and recommendations contained therein.
(para. 70)
ii) Urged FAO to accelerate its work in relation to the impact of subsidies on fisheries resource sustainability and sustainable development.
(para. 71)
iii) Encouraged FAO to continue its leading role in promoting cooperation and coordination with other relevant intergovernmental organizations such as the WTO, OECD, UNEP and others in the field of fisheries.
(para. 71)
iv) Agreed that the guide Identifying, Assessing and Reporting on Subsidies in the Fisheries Sector prepared by FAO and reviewed by the expert consultation provides a useful technical tool.
(para. 72)
v) Agreed with the Japanese proposal that FAO should convene a Technical Consultation on this issue to be held immediately after the meeting on IUU fishing and fleet overcapacity in early 2004 in Rome.
(para. 73)
Strategies for Increasing the Sustainable Contribution of Small-Scale Fisheries to Food Security and Poverty Alleviation
i) Commended the Secretariat for the quality of the document.
(para. 76)
ii) Endorsed the analysis presented and the Strategies proposed.
(para. 76)
iii) Applauded FAO’s initiative to treat the small-scale fisheries sector as a stand alone agenda item for the Committee’s attention.
(para. 76)
iv) Highlighted the important role of women in small-scale fish processing and marketing activities.
(para. 76)
v) Noted the high vulnerability of small-scale fishing communities to the impacts of natural catastrophes and the high risks associated with small-scale fishing operations.
(para. 77)
vi) Recognized that certain current policies do not always treat small-scale fisheries in accordance with the sector’s importance to national economic and social development and, in particular, its contribution to food security and poverty reduction.
(para. 80)
vii) Further recognized that small-scale fisheries have often been overlooked in the formulation of national poverty reduction strategies.
(para. 80)
viii) Stressed that better understanding of the causes of vulnerability and poverty in small-scale fisheries were essential to the development of strategies for enhancing the role of the sector in fostering national social and economic welfare.
(para. 81)
ix) Recognized the valuable experiences reported by several Members in enhancing the social and economic contributions of small-scale fisheries.
(para. 82)
x) Requested that FAO allocate more resources to promote sustainable small-scale fisheries.
(para. 84)
xi) Welcomed the suggestion for the Organization to elaborate, in the context of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, technical guidelines on increasing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and poverty alleviation.
(para. 84)
Implementation of Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management to Achieve Responsible Fisheries Resources and to Restore Fisheries Resources and the Marine Environment
i) Noted that many Members were already addressing several aspects of EAF.
(para. 87)
ii) Agreed that although the approach needed further clarification, many of its aspects could already be introduced into current fisheries management practices.
(para. 89)
iii) Suggested that FAO, through case studies on small-scale fisheries, develop an adopted EAF tool box with rapid appraisal techniques, participatory processes, conflict resolution, integrated resource, assessment and management, including co-management, and capacity-building.
(para. 90)
iv) Supported the role of FAO in facilitating the process of adoption of the ecosystem approach as agreed during the WSSD.
(para. 93)
v) Suggested that closer cooperation on the approach with regional fishery organizations would improve consensus and generate more sense of ownership of the Technical Guidelines on the part of those in charge of their implementation.
(para. 93)
Review of Major Programme 2.3 Fisheries
i) Identified priority areas which are listed in no particular order: promotion of aquaculture and inland fisheries in food security, strengthening of regional fishery bodies in particular to appropriately assist developing countries in improving their fisheries management, implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and related instruments such as International Plans of Actions as well as elaboration of technical guidelines, pursue collaboration with CITES, support sustainable small-scale fisheries and their better inclusion within the formulation of poverty reduction strategies, working on the implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management, implementation of the strategy for improving status and trends reporting, and maintaining the fisheries library.
(para. 104)
ii) Stressed, as a matter of principle, that the priorities identified by COFI should be reflected in the PWB.
(para. 104)
iii) Recommended that deep sea fisheries should be included in the agenda at the next Session of COFI.
(para. 106)
Any Other Matters
i) Welcomed the decision of the Government of Mexico to provide additional financial resources to the Trust Fund that had been set up to help FAO award the Margarita Lizárraga Medal.
(para. 108)
ii) Noted that IUU fishing continues to adversely affect the sustainable management of fisheries and that without the political will it would be difficult for many countries to develop national plans of action called for in paragraph 25 of the IPOA–IUU by 2004 or to adopt measures to deter, reduce and eliminate IUU fishing.
(para. 110)
iii) Recommended that IUU fishing be included in the agenda of the Thirty-second Session of the FAO Conference with a view to calling attention of Members to this issue.
(para. 110)
iv) Noted additional fisheries issues raised by some Members namely: the planned Conference on the Management and Sustainable Development of Fisheries in the Antarctic by Japan, the “White Water to Blue Water” initiative involving a variety of Caribbean countries and other partners by the United States of America and the reference by Japan to FAO’s Fisheries Technical Paper 401 entitled “Understanding the Cultures of Fishery Communities” published in 2001.
(paras. 109, 111, 112)
