45. The Executive Committee was advised of the preparations for the first APFIC Regional Consultative Forum Meeting (RCFM) and arrangements for the Twenty-ninth Session of the Commission in 2006 as outlined in document APFIC:ExCo/05/6. It is noted that the preparations for the RCF Meeting (RCFM) have involved the Members of the Commission, regional bodies and arrangements and other international organizations concerned with fisheries and coastal management in the formulation of appropriate agendas and in the conduct of the RCFM. The Committee agreed to the broad objective of the RCFM, which is to identify trends, methods, capacity building opportunities, research gaps and overlaps amongst players in order to improve the state of fisheries and aquaculture and to enhance the integration of fisheries into national and regional management and decision-making. It expected that the outcome of the meeting would contribute significantly toward the future work of APFIC.
46. The Committee agreed to the proposal of the Secretariat to charge a small registration fee to some participants to cover the costs of the meeting venue package and other associated organizational costs. The Committee endorsed the Secretariat’s suggestion that a conference management group would be used to assist with the logistics and organization of the RCFM.
47. The Committee developed and endorsed the major topics to be discussed at the RCFM as well as the schedule of the three-day RCF Meeting which appears as Appendix D.
48. The Committee discussed the options for the location of the RCFM and it was decided that with the large number of participants that it would be most efficient to hold the meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The dates for the RCFM were set to take place during the week of 16-19 August 2006.
49. The Committee considered the arrangements of the ensuing Twenty-ninth Session of APFIC as proposed by the Secretariat and endorsed the tentative schedule of the Session (Appendix E), which will take place on the 21-23 August 2006.
50. The Committee reiterated that the main focus of APFIC’s activities would remain small-scale fisheries and rural aquaculture for the next biennium, which would be pursued through partnerships with competent regional organizations. It was also agreed that the emerging need for an additional focus on fisheries trade and food safety (both aquaculture and capture fishery) and that this would be brought into an expanded portfolio of activities for APFIC in the coming biennium. The Committee encouraged APFIC to seek technical support from FAO in collaboration with ASWGFi to convene a workshop on food safety and standards during 2006.
