PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION REPORT 2004-05 WEB ANNEX

Programme Entity	Title	Type	Lead Division
231A2	Development of Partnerships for the Fisheries Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS) of FIGIS	Technical Project	FID

Rationale

Development problem to be addressed: in the context of the globalisation of issues related to governance and trade in natural resources, there is a deficit of reliable information. Comprehensive, objective and timely information and the resulting increased awareness would facilitate and stimulate more effective policy making, sectoral planning, management and, consequently, fishing practices.
Proposed contribution to problem resolution: direct involvement of, and improved coordination between information owners (national and regional centres of excellence) in the development and maintenance of an integrated worldwide information system is a guarantee of better quality information. The newly available information technology, together with the development of communication standards for information exchange, will facilitate the needed partnerships.
Intended end beneficiaries: the international community (producers, processors, traders, consumers, support industries and the public at large) are the ultimate beneficiaries. The intended benefits are effective policy making, sectoral planning and fisheries management which result in sustainable use of fishery resources.

Objective

Increased awareness of key fisheries issues and trends and their inter-relationship with other aspects of integrated natural resource management; better informed public debate in support of sustainable management of fisheries resources at the national and international levels, based on improved international fishery information standards and quality.

Indicators

Examples of use of information contained in the FIGIS' and FIRMS' Web site to inform public debate on policy issues affecting sustainable use of fisheries.
User feedback on the use, content and usefulness of the statistics and other data.

2004-05 Implementation Progress - Achievements, Success Stories and Lessons Learnt

The information content within FIGIS expanded markedly during the biennium, and a major module has been developed to meet the needs of the FIRMS Partnership (to be launched in 2006). An auto-evaluation undertaken in 2004 concluded that there is growing evidence of external interest in and use of FIGIS, and the external access/use report (LeBars) confirms a very good level of Web site entry and further enquiry, though the primary methodology could not determine the satisfaction gained. Compared with other well-established FAO sites, its record of use was good and showed steady growth. However, based on results from a smaller number of users, this record is marred by some degree of dissatisfaction with various operating features, some of which are relatively simple to address. Since the auto-evaluation, most of the shortcomings identified have been addressed. Investment in and commitment to FIGIS are substantial, and the project is at a critical juncture. More resources will be required to give it a sufficient functionality and utility to ensure its wider support in house and externally. This requirement will be assisted by the establishment of a longer-term core of staff and the realization that procedures and communication are essential for the sustainability of the process. A move was made to simplify and standardize to put future tasks of subsystem development, component interlinkages, data entry and quality control more in the hands of "knowledge domain owners" (i.e. subject specialists and their external clients/stakeholders). As FIGIS matures, its protocols and processes are becoming better developed and its systems more definable and reliable, and a greater emphasis has been placed on consolidation and process documentation.

Major Output	Biennial Output	Title	Type	Contributing Divisions (Lead Division in bold)	Status
001		Enhanced FIGIS functionalities compatible with WAICENT, and modules and workflows for the integration and updating of data.
	401	Full version of the FIGIS statistical working system module	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Modified
	402	Full version of the FIGIS reference table maintenance system	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	403	Fishery statistical module integrated with FAOSTAT2, with quality assurance, estimation, audit trail and traceability features	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Postponed
	404	Workflow systems developed for more systematically assembling inventories on fisheries and fishery resources and information on status and trends of fishery resources, including a facility to prepare an offline (CD ROM) version of FIRMS	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
	405	Workflow systems for more systematic exchange of high seas vessel information between FAO, countries supplying vessel data, and RFBs	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Postponed
	406	Workflow systems for more systematic input/exchange of information on other FIGIS knowledge bases, and data bases including glossary, mediabase, documents, maps, and Fishery ontology	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Modified
002		Coordination, technical and other support to the FIGIS/FIRMS Partnership and to information provider partners.
	401	Coordinated provision of information to FIRMS according to agreed procedures and formats	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
	402	Technical support to Partners including training	Training (including training courses and materials)	FID	Completed
	403	One or two meetings of the FIRMS Steering Committee (FSC)	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
	404	FIRMS extended further worldwide with additional RFB and national partners having joined the partnership	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
	406	FIGIS partnership with ASFA, GLOBEFISH, SIPAM and AAPQIS based on enhanced protocols for data exchange	Methodologies and guidelines (including pilot testing and demonstration)	FID	Modified
003		Comprehensive multi-disciplinary Geographical Information System (GIS)-based database on fisheries integrated in FIGIS.
	401	Fishers, Food balance sheet, and 2 regional capture production time series integrated in FIGIS	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Modified
	402	Inventory of world marine fish stocks and fisheries expanded, using accurate georeferencing systems	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	403	Initiation of data base of small scale fisheries, including inland fisheries	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Modified
	404	Knowledge base on marine species expanded, and establishment of knowledge base on cultivated species	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	405	Knowledge base on Fishery country profiles, including a focus on aquaculture sector, and georeferenced features	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	406	Knowledge base on trade, fish handling, and fish quality and safety initiated, based on data exchange with suppliers of information (FII, Fishport, Globefish)	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Postponed
	407	GIS layers on sub-administrative boundaries, hydrology, watersheds, cities, geomorphology, geographical salient features, integrated in FIGIS	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Modified

Programme Entity	Title	Type	Lead Division
231P1	Provision of Fisheries Information and Statistics	Continuing Programme Activity	FID

Rationale

Development problem to be addressed: Members require current, comprehensive, and accurate fisheries information and statistics for policy making, sectoral planning and management, but often fisheries information is lacking, unreliable, incomplete or outdated. As a result, many fisheries policies and practices are not compatible with sustainable use.
Proposed contribution to problem resolution: the availability and use of comprehensive and standardised fishery information and statistics will facilitate more effective policy making, sectoral planning and management in support of sustainable fisheries use, resulting in improved practices at national and international levels.
Intended end beneficiaries: increased and sustainable fishery production, utilisation and livelihoods, sustainable ecosystems and protection of the environment will benefit key international stakeholders including producers, processors, traders, support industries and consumers as well as the public at large.

Objective

Availability of comprehensive, standardised global fisheries information and statistics and wide use by governments and other stakeholders to promote awareness of key fisheries issues and trends, as well as serve policy formulation in the sector.

Indicators

Examples of FAO's fishery statistics cited and/or utilised in national and international policy debate.
Use and usefulness of FAO's fisheries statistics, information and publications in advocating sustainable fisheries management.

2004-05 Implementation Progress - Achievements, Success Stories and Lessons Learnt

The fishery statistics programme was maintained, and annual updates were disseminated and published in yearbooks whose quality improved because more detail had been introduced in statistical classifications for species and commodities for FAO fishery statistics. Exceptions were statistics on fishing fleets and fishers, which, although improved in structure and historical content, were only partly updated because a statistician post was vacant; filling the post was delayed, in part because of a shortage of funds. Countries' use of electronic questionnaires to report statistics greatly increased. Major achievements included: preparation and publication of two volumes of Guidelines for designing data collection and sharing systems for co-managed fisheries; contributing as lead authors to the fishery section of the Food chapter in the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment; finalization of the CWP Handbook of fishery statistical standards, for publication on the Web; and leading preparation of Part One of SOFIA. Methodologies for describing and appraising national fishery statistical methodologies were developed by the FishCode-STF project under technical leadership of FIDI, in support of implementation of the Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries (Strategy-STF) adopted by FAO Council in 2003. CWP continued to lead the development of norms and standards for international fishery statistics and advised on how regional fishery bodies and CWP could contribute to implementation of Strategy-STF, following a workshop organized by the FishCode-STF project. The ASFA Partnership continued to expand, the database reached 1 million records, usage continued to grow and a professional librarian association again rated ASFA the world's premier bibliographic database for aquatic sciences and fisheries. The FIRMS Partnership expanded to ten regional fishery bodies and other agencies and led development of the FIRMS Web site to be launched in 2006 as the authoritative source of information on world fishery resources and fisheries management. Work commenced on a major redesign of the Fisheries Department Web site utilizing FIGIS framework and technology. Following an extensive study, a publication, Fisheries information in developing countries: support to the implementation of the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, was produced. The Thirty-first Annual Conference of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers was hosted, and it gave extensive exposure to FAO Fisheries Department information outputs and activities, particularly relating to the Code of Conduct. Fisheries Library services, information and office technology services, and publications coordination, were maintained despite budget reductions.

Major Output	Biennial Output	Title	Type	Contributing Divisions (Lead Division in bold)	Status
001		Development of norms, standards, guidelines, arrangements and procedures for enhanced collection, storage, dissemination and sharing of fisheries information.
	401	Contribution of FAO bibliographic references to the ASFA bibliographic database	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	402	Coordination of the international network of ASFA partners, increasing the geographical and subject matter coverage of ASFA and organization of ASFA Advisory Board Meetings	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
	403	Training courses for new ASFA partners and follow-up support	Training (including training courses and materials)	FID	Completed
	404	Maintenance of ASFA input software (www-ISIS-ASFA)	Methodologies and guidelines (including pilot testing and demonstration)	FID	Completed
	406	Maintenance of the ASFIS Reference Series (i.e. guidelines, authority lists, procedures for ASFA data input)	Methodologies and guidelines (including pilot testing and demonstration)	FID	Completed
	407	Enhanced access to ASFA information products to Low-income, Food-deficit Countries (LIFDCs)	Direct advice to Members; field programme support	FID	Completed
002		Fisheries information and library services.
	402	Training and guidelines on standard ASFIS methodologies for information management and exchange in fisheries institutions	Methodologies and guidelines (including pilot testing and demonstration)	FID	Completed
	403	Support to fisheries libraries and information networks in developing countries in collaboration with IAMSLIC and other agencies	Direct advice to Members; field programme support	FID	Completed
	404	Fisheries information disseminated through library services, literature searches, current awareness services and targeted dissemination	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
	406	Development and maintenance of comprehensive and up-to-date information in the Fisheries Department web site and its convergence with FIGIS	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	407	Coordination and maintenance of information in FIGIS and the FI Atlas	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
003		Development and promotion of norms, standards, arrangements and procedures for enhanced collection, storage, processing, dissemination and sharing of fishery statistics.
	401	Regional workshops on most appropriate methodologies for data collection on small-scale fisheries and for the improvement of routine collection methods of capture fisheries and aquaculture data	Training (including training courses and materials)	FID RAF RAP RNE SLAC	Modified
	402	Secretariat's support to the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
	403	Support to the implementation of the Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Fisheries	Direct advice to Members; field programme support	FID RAF RAP RNE SAFR SLAC	Completed
	404	Analysis of data needs arising from ecosystem-based management techniques	Studies and analyses	FID	Completed
	405	Twenty-first session of the CWP and CWP inter-sessional meeting	Coordination and information exchange	FID	Completed
	406	Plans and Guidelines for collection of aquaculture production statistics	Methodologies and guidelines (including pilot testing and demonstration)	FID	Modified
	407	Updated Handbook on Fishery Statistical Standards	Methodologies and guidelines (including pilot testing and demonstration)	FID	Completed
	408	Publication of ASFIS Aquatic Species Classification	International undertakings, agreements/conventions and standards	FID	Completed
	409	Fishery ontology (concepts, reference terms, and their relationships) expanded	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
004		Collation, analysis and dissemination of global and regional fishery statistics.
	401	Updated fishery statistics in FIGIS and FAOSTAT	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	403	Analysis of trends in fisheries and aquaculture for SOFIA 2004, for SOFA 2004 and 2005 and other studies	Studies and analyses	FID	Completed
	404	Releases of the global and regional databases in Fishstat on the Internet and on CD-ROM	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	405	Publication of 2 Yearbooks of Fishery Statistics: Capture Production	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	406	Publication of 2 Yearbooks of Fishery Statistics: Aquaculture Production	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	407	Publication of 2 Yearbooks of Fishery Statistics: Commodities	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	408	Publication of Bulletin of Fishery Statistics: Apparent Fish Consumption	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	409	Publication of Bulletin of Fishery Statistics: Fishing Fleets	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Modified
	410	Publication of Circular on Numbers of Fishers	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Postponed
	411	Publication of Circular on Trade Flows	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Modified
	412	Studies of problematical national statistics	Studies and analyses	FID	Completed
	413	Publication of time serie of aquaculture structural statistics for selected countries	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	414	Maintenance and development of high seas vessel authorization database (HSVAR) to better monitor fishing capacity	Information (products, systems, databases)	FID	Completed
	415	Study of long-term supply and demand projections of fishery commodities based on food balance sheet data	Studies and analyses	FID	Completed

Programme Entity	Title	Type	Lead Division
231S1	Advice and Technical Support to Member Nations and Regional Fisheries Bodies	Technical Service Agreement	FID

Indicators

Number of regional workshops or training courses held on improving fishery information or statistics
Number of field projects serviced for improvement of fishery statistics or information

2004-05 Implementation Progress - Achievements, Success Stories and Lessons Learnt

Following retirement of an officer dedicated to fishery statistical development, technical assistance services were maintained through consultants and activities led by the FishCode-STF project, either through Technical Cooperation Programme projects or directly. The ARTFISH suite of software for data collection and processing through sample surveys was made available as downloads from a dedicated Web site.

Major Output	Biennial Output	Title	Type	Contributing Divisions (Lead Division in bold)	Status
001		Advice and technical support to governments and regional fishery bodies on fishery information and statistics programmes
	401	Technical advice to Members and support to the formulation and implementation of projects for the improvement of national fishery statistical and information systems	Direct advice to Members; field programme support	FID	Completed
	402	Support to global activities for improved information on status and trends of fisheries as a component of FISHCODE, subject to donor funding, and projects such as the tuna fishing capacity monitoring project	Direct advice to Members; field programme support	FID	Modified
	403	Advice and technical support to regional fishery bodies on development of fishery statistics and information programmes	Direct advice to Members; field programme support	FID	Completed