In 1998, FAO organized a Technical Working Group (TWG) to discuss issues related to fishing capacity. Major issues discussed included measurement and control methods for managing and reducing capacity. The FAO meeting also served as a basis for the development of an International Plan of Action (IPOA) for the Management of Fishing Capacity. The FAO Committee on Fisheries adopted the IPOA in February 1999. A subsequent FAO Technical Consultation was held in Mexico City in 1999. The purpose of that meeting was to better define capacity and capacity utilization in fisheries, and to examine methods or develop general guidelines that might be used to estimate capacity and excess capacity in fisheries.
Since the 1988 meeting, considerable activity has been undertaken by FAO in studying fishing capacity. This has culminated in several reports, including:
Report of the Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting on the Management of Fishing Capacity (FAO Fisheries Report No. 586, 1998).
Selected papers from the TWG Meeting (FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 386, 1999).
International Plan of Action on the Measurement of Fishing Capacity (1999).
Report of the Technical Consultation on the Measurement of Fishing Capacity (FAO Fisheries Report 615, 2000).
A review of policy and technical issues involved in managing capacity (FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 409, 2001).
Report on the Expert Consultation on Catalysing the Transition away from Overcapacity in Marine Capture Fisheries (FAO Fisheries Report No. 691, 2002).
Selected papers from the Technical Consultation on the Measurement of Fishing Capacity (FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 443, 2003).
This current report is part of this ongoing commitment to improving methods for assessing and managing fishing capacity. The report is in two volumes, published separately. Part 1 provides an overview of basic concepts for the assessment and management of fishing capacity. Part 2 provides more details on methods for measuring and assessing capacity. The first volume is aimed at managers and policy-makers who need to have an understanding of the key concepts but are not likely to be involved in capacity assessment directly. The second volume is aimed at fisheries economists and scientists who are likely to be involved in the process of measuring and assessing fishing capacity.
Distribution:
All FAO Members and Associated Members
Interested Nations
and International Organizations
Directors of Fisheries
FAO Fisheries
Department
FAO Fisheries Officers in FAO Regional Offices
Interested
Non-governmental Organizations
Authors
