(Agenda item 7, Document CWP-21/6)
82. The Workshop on the Role of Regional Fishery Bodies in Implementation of the FAO Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries (RFB-STF Workshop) was held prior to the Twenty-first CWP Session on 28 February - 1 March 2005. Its objective was to discuss the roles of CWP and RFBs in the implementation of the Strategy - STF and to identify possible partnership activities.
83. The Workshop was attended by ten participants from RFBs and FAO who made the following recommendations with regard to future partnership activities:
The FishCode - STF Project and FAO should assist RFBs in increasing the awareness of the importance of the implementation of the STF Strategy.
The FishCode - STF Project and FAO, together with the RFBs, should stress the importance of and promote actions on transparent and complete national data collection of fisheries.
The FishCode - STF Project should cooperate with RFBs on the carrying out of inventories of data collection systems and status of stocks, in particular in supporting their contribution to FIRMS.
FishCode - STF Project should seek collaboration with interested RFBs for the development of monitoring systems for small-scale fisheries in developing countries. All RFBs may assist with the identification of expertise for technical assistance.
The FishCode - STF Project should consider developing guidelines for the establishment of data exchange protocols based on the CWP handbook on fisheries statistical standards.
84. CWP accepted the report and agreed that the recommendations in paragraph 83 above should be taken further. The main text of the Workshop report is included in Appendix 7 herein.
