FAO Fisheries Report No. 722

FAO Fisheries Report No. 722

Report of the
Expert Consultation on Fishing Vessels Operating under Open Registries and Their Impact on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

Miami, Florida, United States of America, 23-25 September 2003

   

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, 2004

   
   
 
Table of Contents

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

ISBN 92-5-105098-8
ISSN 0429-9337

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© FAO 2004


FAO.

Report of the Expert Consultation on Fishing Vessels Operating under Open Registries and their Impact on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Miami, Florida, United States of America, 23 - 25 September 2003.

FAO Fisheries Report. No 722. Rome, FAO. 2004. 168p.

ABSTRACT

This document contains the report of the Expert Consultation on Fishing Vessels Operating under Open Registries and their Impact on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing that was held at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Miami, Florida, United States of America, from 23 to 25 September 2003. The Expert Consultation was convened by the Director-General of FAO with a view to facilitating implementation of the 2001 FAO International Plan of Action to Deter, Prevent and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU). Experts for this Consultation were selected because of their experience with open registries and in the field of fisheries.

The Experts focused on the effects of IUU fishing on global fishery resources and on lessons that might be learned from the experiences of flag States that have already implemented tighter control over the activities of their fishing vessels. Background papers presented to the Consultation covered topics including: a global assessment of the extent of IUU fishing; fishing vessels operating under open registries and the exercise of flag State responsibility; standards relating to flag State responsibility over fishing vessels contained in recent international instruments; and the International Network for the Cooperation and Coordination of Fisheries-related Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Activities (International MCS Network). Three case study presentations were also made by Experts from selected open registry countries (Cook Islands, Cyprus and Panama).

A round table discussion following the presentations led to the adoption of a number of recommendations for more effective application of flag State control over fishing vessels, particularly those operating under open registries, as a means to reduce the incidence of IUU fishing. These recommendations identified measures to be adopted by all States, flag States, coastal States and port States, as well as for assistance to developing States.

Results of the Expert Consultation are intended to provide inputs for a Technical Consultation on IUU fishing, fleet capacity and subsidies that is planned for mid-2004, in accordance with a decision of the twenty-fifth session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in February 2003.


Table of Contents


PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ACRONYMS FOR REGIONAL FISHERY BODIES AND ARRANGEMENTS

OPENING OF THE SESSION

SELECTION OF OFFICERS

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

OVERVIEW OF IUU FISHING ISSUES AND FLAG STATE RESPONSIBILITY

FISHING VESSELS OPERATING UNDER OPEN REGISTRIES AND THE EXERCISE OF FLAG STATE RESPONSIBILITIES

PRESENTATION OF CASE STUDIES

Cook Islands
Cyprus
Panama

INTERNATIONAL MONITORING, CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE NETWORK

ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

All States
Flag States
Coastal States
Port States
Assistance to Developing States

OTHER MATTERS

ADOPTION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS

APPENDIX A: AGENDA

APPENDIX B: LIST OF EXPERTS

APPENDIX C: LIST OF DOCUMENTS

APPENDIX D: GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF IUU FISHING AND ITS IMPACTS ON NATIONAL AND REGIONAL EFFORTS TO MANAGE FISHERIES SUSTAINABLY: THE RATIONALE FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE 2001 FAO INTERNATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION

APPENDIX E: FLAG STATE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF RECENT INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS IN PREVENTING, DETERRING AND ELIMINATING IUU FISHING

APPENDIX F: FISHING VESSELS OPERATING UNDER OPEN REGISTRIES AND THE EXERCISE OF FLAG STATE RESPONSIBILITIES: INFORMATION AND OPTIONS

APPENDIX G: GUIDELINES FOR THE CASE STUDIES

APPENDIX H: THE COOK ISLANDS - A CASE STUDY

APPENDIX I: CYPRUS - A CASE STUDY

APPENDIX J: PANAMA - A CASE STUDY

APPENDIX K: INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR THE COOPERATION AND COORDINATION OF FISHERIES-RELATED MONITORING, CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES

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