APPENDICES

Appendix A. List of participants

Appendix B. Agenda

1. Opening of the Session

2. Adoption of the agenda

3. Inter-sessional activities of APFIC

4. Review of Members’ responses to the letter of the Director-General of FAO concerning the future of APFIC

5. Future of APFIC

6. Preparations for the Twenty-eighth Session of APFIC

7. Any other matters

8. Date and place of the Seventieth Session

9. Adoption of the Report

Appendix C. List of documents

Appendix D. Draft themes and issues for the first APFIC Regional Consultative Forum (2006)

Appendix E. Form and function of the APFIC Regional Consultative Forum

Roles and participation:

APFIC should play a facilitating role between FAO and other regional bodies and international arrangements in the region to promote sustainable development of fisheries and responsible aquaculture in the APFIC region. APFIC, through its secretariat, will convene and organize the Regional Consultative Forum to encourage the transfer and exchange of technology, promote capacity development and afford Members the opportunity to address emerging policy issues in Asian-Pacific and World fisheries. APFIC would take steps to include FAO Members, non-member nations, other Regional Fishery Bodies and arrangements, and international initiatives in environmental and coastal management, in the agenda setting and conduct of the Forum. In this way APFIC can seek to avoid duplication of effort in the region and promote its role as a fishery integrative and consultative body.

Objectives of the Forum:

The major goal of the Forum is to provide the opportunity for countries and international stakeholders to examine issues relating to the region’s fisheries and aquaculture, and to make strategic and practical recommendations on how to address these issues. In particular,

• identify regional trends, emerging methods and capacity building opportunities to improve the state of fisheries and aquaculture that is underpinned by research and information sharing; and

• enhance integration of fisheries into national and regional policies and management decision-making.

Timing:

The Forum will take the form of a biennial meeting that will be held in conjunction with the regular session of APFIC.

Major subject matter to include:

• Facilitation of effective implementation of international agreements including the Agenda 21 of United Nations Convention on Environment and Development, the UN Fish Stocks Agreement, World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002), the FAO Compliance Agreement and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and other international initiatives in particular the ecosystem approach to fisheries;

• The promotion of data and information exchanges in the region amongst nations, international organizations and their projects;

• Role and importance of responsible fisheries and aquaculture in ensuring and providing food security, poverty alleviation and securing the livelihoods of rural and coastal populations.

• The strengthening of national capacities as well as legal and institutional frameworks; and

• Other matters that may be suggested by other regional bodies and arrangements, as endorsed by the Executive Committee.

The identification of the subject matter will be developed in a participatory manner, but should in the first instance pay attention to the considerable detail available in APFIC literature and the observations of FAO (RFB) documents relating to information and technical issues.

Outcomes:

The outcomes of the Regional Forum will be:

(i) Identification of major regional issues and recommendations to be forwarded to the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) and other relevant Bodies including the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI); and

(ii) Identification of priority actions to be implemented by APFIC member countries with bilateral and regional support.

APFIC Secretariat will take into account the outcomes of the Forum in the development of the work plan for APFIC and the work of its Secretariat and Ad Hoc working groups, for the subsequent period.

The report of the Forum and the contributions to the Forum should be published as rapidly as possible by APFIC in addition to policy briefs on agreed subject matter that are subsequently developed and disseminated.

Funding and resources:

The APFIC Secretariat will play a major role in coordinating the Forum and actively pursue donor support for the Forum and subsequent follow up activities, including publications of papers and reports, to ensure the effective organization of the event.

Coordination of the Forum with other activities:

Meetings of the forum should be organized to facilitate reporting to COFI and APRC. The following tentative schedule is proposed:

• 69^th APFIC Executive Committee Meeting - December 2003 (Pattaya, Thailand)

• APRC Session - May 2004 (Beijing, PR China)

• 28^th Session of APFIC - August 2004 (Chiangmai, Thailand)

• COFI Session - February 2005 (Rome, Italy)

• 70^th APFIC Executive Committee Meeting - June/July 2005

• APRC Session - May 2006 (?)

• First APFIC Regional Consultative Forum - August 2006 and 29^th Session of APFIC, August 2006

• COFI Session - February 2007 (Rome, Italy)

• 71^st APFIC Executive Committee Meeting - June/July 2007 (.....)

• APRC Session - May 2008 (?)

• Second APFIC Regional Consultative Forum, August 2008 and 30^th Session of APFIC, August 2008 (?)

• COFI Session - February 2008 (Rome, Italy)

Appendix F. Work schedule for APFIC Secretariat leading up to the Regional Forum in 2006 and evaluation at the end of Year 2010

(i) The APFIC Secretariat informs Members, all regional and sub-regional organizations and arrangements with relevance to fisheries in the Asia-Pacific region of the proposal for the Regional Consultative Forum and invites their participation and suggestions for the agenda of the forum. Where practical, the Secretariat should meet with other parties and gain support.

(ii) The APFIC Secretariat contributes to the collection and dissemination of quality fishery data and information, particular as they relate to ‘small-scale fisheries’ and build awareness of the importance of sharing information and experiences among member countries. If necessary, it would convene an ad-hoc working group on statistics and information for small-scale fisheries and rural aquaculture. A web site will be developed to provide a platform for the dissemination and exchange of information

(iii) The APFIC Secretariat prepares several presentations on the status of capture fisheries and aquaculture in the region, its potential future contribution to the region, and issues of concern, as background for the 28^th Session of APFIC and the Regional Consultative Forum. The APFIC Secretariat will also publish a handbook on regional fishery bodies and arrangements that are relevant to the work of APFIC.

(iv) APFIC Secretariat reports the intended future role APFIC and the Regional Consultative Forum to the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) in May 2004.

(v) The future role of APFIC and the Regional consultative Forum (form, content and draft agenda) is presented to the 28th Session of the Commission in August 2004 to gain Member’s endorsement. The appropriate means of channeling APFIC’s requirements to the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and other international fora, will be determined.

(vi) Following the APFIC session, the Secretariat reports the outcome to COFI and with the support of appropriate Working Groups prepare for the First Regional Consultative Forum in August 2006.

(vii) The 70th Session of the Executive Committee of APFIC meets in June/July 2005 to review the report of the 28^th Session, plans of work of the ad hoc working groups as required, the modus operandi for the First Regional Consultative Forum and the agenda for the 29^th Session.

(viii) Report progress to the APRC session in May 2006.

(ix) Conduct the First Regional Consultative Forum in August 2006, and the back-to-back 29th Session of APFIC to consider additional matters raised by the Members and their reaction to the recommendations from the forum which may serve as a basis for the development of APFIC recommendations and future work plans of APFIC.

(x) The Secretariat develops the draft report and recommendations of the forum (which may include high priority activities for the Commission’s ad hoc working groups). The proceedings of the forum should be published as quickly as feasible. The draft report and recommendations of the forum are circulated to all Members for comments.

(xi) The cycle of preparation for the Regional Consultative Forum and reporting is repeated until 2010.

Appendix G. Summary of main recommendations/decisions

Future Role of APFIC

(1) The Committee noted that most of the Members of APFIC wished to see the Commission continue its functions and to assume a new role as a "Regional Consultative Body" to promote integration of the regional activities relating to fisheries. (paragraph 15 of the Report)

(2) The Committee further noted that the majority of the Members were of the opinion that contributions should be voluntary rather than mandatory, with a continuation of the current practice of Members financing their respective participation in the meetings of APFIC and its subsidiary bodies. (paragraph 16 of the Report)

(3) Taking into account the numerous fisheries bodies, arrangements and initiatives in the region, the Committee thought that it would be advisable for APFIC to increase its liaison with these bodies and arrangements. In considering the future role of the Commission, it was recommended that the types and subject matter of these bodies, arrangements and initiatives had to be taken into account. (paragraph 23 of the Report).

(4) The Committee unanimously agreed that APFIC must alter its role in order to survive. Since APFIC is a Members' organization, Ex Co expressed concern that the lack of interest from the majority of its Members in the Commission would render it ineffective and lead eventually to its demise. (paragraph 24 of the Report)

Regional Consultative Forum

(5) To provide an integrating mechanism for APFIC to assume its proposed role, it was recommended that APFIC organize and conduct a Regional Consultative Forum as a biennial event. (paragraph 26 and 27 of the Report)

(6) The Committee considered that the theme ('banner programme') of the first Regional Consultative Forum should be on small-scale fisheries and aquaculture, since these represent areas of common interest to the Members and also are areas of the sector that have been previously neglected. The Forum should also have an opportunity to discuss various sub-themes including policy, management and trade-related issues as well as food security and food safety. (paragraph 28 and 30 of the Report)

(7) The Committee emphasized that APFIC should not 'implement projects' but rather act in a role of bringing together the regional actors in the fisheries sector under the broader issue of small-scale fisheries/aquaculture. (paragraph 28 of the Report)

(8) The Committee envisaged that benefits, which could be derived from this Forum included the open discussion of regional fisheries issues and opportunities for technical and policy learning and exchange, thereby increasing the awareness of issues of common interest to the Members of APFIC. The output of the Forum would provide a voice for the region that could then be followed up in international fora such as the FAO Regional Conference and COFI and also contribute to other regional mechanisms such as the Regional Seas program. (paragraph 32 of the Report)

(9) The Committee agreed that the first session of the Forum should be attended by APFIC Members, observer nations, representatives of FAO, relevant RFBs and selected international organizations as well as international experts invited to speak on specific topics. (paragraph 33 of the Report)

(10) The Committee agreed that the first session of the Regional Consultative Forum be held in conjunction with the Twenty-ninth Session of APFIC and replace the APFIC Symposia as these arrangements would incur minimal additional expenses over the current budget of APFIC. (paragraph 36 of the Report)

(11) The Committee agreed that the outcome and recommendations arising from the Forum, which have been endorsed by the Commission, should be communicated widely by the Secretariat to relevant Ministries and universities in the member countries. They should also be disseminated to FAO, in particular to the Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific and to COFI for consideration and appropriate action, in order to raise the awareness of regional issues. (paragraph 37 of the Report)

(12) The Committee expressed its concern over the expected increase of effort on the part of the Secretariat in organizing the biennial Regional Consultative Forum and in providing a synthesis and development report for presentation to more than one international forum, as well as searching for funding support and organizing further meetings of regional decision-makers and/or aid donors. The Committee noted that FAO currently provided US$ 165 000 per biennium in support of the activities of APFIC and the Secretariat. An estimated amount of about US$100 000 might be required for the holding of the Forum independent of the session of APFIC (i.e. in alternate years). The Forum, therefore, will also have to be donor-supported.

(13) The Committee agreed to recommend to the Commission the adoption of the Regional Consultative Forum as its main event amongst the activities of APFIC. (paragraph 39 of the Report)

Preparations for the Twenty-eighth Session of APFIC

(14) The APFIC Secretariat should prepare a summary handbook on regional and sub- regional fisheries bodies and arrangements for the benefit of the APFIC Members. (paragraph 23 of the Report)

(15) The Committee recommended that the outcomes of the Executive Committee and its recommendations as to the future role of APFIC should be submitted for consideration by the Twenty-seventh Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) to be held in Beijing in May 2004. (paragraph 40 of the Report)

(16) The Executive Committee was informed of the arrangements for the Twenty-eighth Session of APFIC to be hosted by the Government of Thailand in August 2004. (paragraph 41 of the Report).

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