FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture - Regional fishery bodies (RFB)

Regional Fishery Bodies Summary Descriptions

Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI)

Mission
Area of competence
Organizations involved
Species and stocks coverage
Legal framework
Structure
Languages
Activities and meetings
- Commission sessions
- Working Groups
Publications
Contacts

MissionObjective The purpose of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) is to promote the development, conservation, rational management and best utilization of living marine resources, as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture within its area of Agreement. FunctionsThe Commission has the following functions and responsibilities:

to keep under review the state of the resources, including their abundance and the level of their exploitation, as well as the state of the fisheries based thereon;
to formulate and recommend appropriate measures for the conservation and rational management of living marine, applying the precautionary approach and based on the best scientific evidence available, including measures:

regulating fishing methods and fishing gear,
prescribing the minimum size for individuals of specified species,
establishing open and closed fishing seasons and areas,
regulating the amount of total catch and of fishing effort and their allocation among Members.

to keep under review the economic and social aspects of the fishing industry and recommend any measures aimed at its development;
to encourage, recommend, coordinate and, as appropriate, undertake training and extension activities in all aspects of fisheries;
to encourage, recommend, coordinate and, as appropriate, undertake research and development activities, including cooperative projects in the areas of fisheries and the protection of living marine resources;
to assemble, publish or disseminate information regarding exploitable living marine resources and fisheries based on these resources;
to promote programmes for aquaculture and fisheries enhancement;
to carry out such other activities as may be necessary for RECOFI to achieve its purposes as defined above.

Area of competence The Commission carries out its functions and responsibilities in the region, bounded in the south by the following rhomb lines: from Ras Dhabat Ali in (16° 39’N, 53° 3’30"E) then to a position in (16° 00’N, 53° 25’E) then to a position in (17° 00’N, 56° 30’E) then to a position in (20° 30’N, 60° 00’E) then to Ras Al-Fasteh in (25° 04’N, 61° 25’E).

RECOFI area of competence - National waters

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The designations employed and the presentation of material in the map(s) are for illustration only and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries.

Organizations involved

Current membership: Bahrain, Iraq, Iran (Islamic Rep. of), Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates.

Member's contributions: RECOFI's core budget is funded by the contributions of the Member countries of the Commission, which pay their share annually. The practice has been for Member countries to pay their share of the budget on an equal basis. Species and stocks coverage The Commission covers all living marine resources in the Agreement area, with the exception of internal waters. Legal framework The Agreement for the Establishment of the Commission was concluded under Article XIV body of the FAO Constitution. It was approved by the FAO Council in November 1999 and came into force on 26 February 2001. The Rules of procedure were adopted at the Commission's First Session, October 2001.
StructureCommission The Commission is the governing body of RECOFI. It is composed of all Members. The Commission is empowered to adopt conservation and management measures. Conservation and management measures binding on Members of the Commission must be adopted by a two-thirds majority of Members present and voting. Each Member has one vote. Any Member of the Commission may object to a decision: Members objecting to a decision are not bound by it.

The Commission normally meets every two years at the time and date the Commission determines. At its first session, Muscat, Oman, October 2001, the Commission agreed to convene regular sessions during the first two weeks of the month of May, starting on the second Tuesday of the month of May. Subsidiary Bodies The Commission is empowered to establish temporary, special or standing committees to study and report on matters pertaining to the purposes of the Commission and working groups to study and recommend on specific technical problems. Subsidiary committee Working Groups established to date are:

Working group on Aquaculture (WGA)
Working group on Fishery Statistics (WGS). At its Fourth Session, held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 7 to 9 May 2007, the Commission decided to expand its current Working Group on Fishery Statistics to a wider Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM).

To date no committees have been constituted. Secretariat The Secretariat is currently provided by FAO. It is based at the seat of the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa in Cairo.
RECOFI is a member of the Regional Fishery Body Secretariats Network that meets biennially. Languages The official languages of the Commission are such languages of the FAO as the Commission may itself decide. Activities and meetings

Commission sessions