Report of the
EXPERT CONSULTATION ON LOW-COST FISHERIES
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND COST RECOVERY
Georgetown, Guyana, 4–7 September 2007

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 (FAO) 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. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Metzner, R. (comp.)
Report of the Expert Consultation on Low-cost Fisheries Management Strategies and Cost Recovery. Georgetown, Guyana, 4–7 September 2007.
FAO Fisheries Report. No. 853. Rome, FAO. 2008. 274p.

ABSTRACT

The Expert Consultation on Low Cost Fisheries Management Strategies and Cost Recovery was intended provide practical information, guidance and recommendations useful to agencies interested in examining their fisheries management funding arrangements as part of facilitating more informed choices regarding funding options, the allocation of scarce resources, and improving overall performance.

Fisheries management agencies are typically mandated to achieve a broad range of objectives related to resource conservation, sustainable use and the distribution of benefits derived from fisheries – benefits that can be considerable as has been demonstrated in a number of countries.

The dilemma that often faces countries is that the management to capture long-term benefits often involves considerable expenditure in both transition arrangements and in ongoing management costs. These costs often exceed the funding available to fisheries management agencies through normal government appropriations. This situation is particularly significant in Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) where public funding to support the management of fisheries is often limited.

Three key questions were addressed:
• How can scarce financial resources be allocated most effectively in support of sustainable and efficient fisheries management, particularly in LIFDCs?
• Given limited access to public funds, particularly in LIFDCs, how can fisheries management costs be funded (e.g. cost recovery)? and
• Who is best situated to provide specific fisheries management services (government or private sector)?

Overall, the group recommended that FAO should both develop Technical Guidelines on Funding Options for Successful Fisheries Management and hold an expert consultation to further elaborate the transitional issues of moving to sustainable fisheries, with a view to developing technical guidelines on this complex topic.