 | Objective |  | |
The general objective of the Commission is to promote the effective conservation, management and development of the living marine resources of the area of competence of the Commission, in accordance with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and address common problems of fisheries management and development faced by Members of the Commission.
The work of the Commission is guided by the following three principles:
- promote the application of the provisions of the FAO Code of Conduct on Responsible Fisheries and its related instruments, including the precautionary approach and the ecosystem approach to fisheries management;
- ensure adequate attention to small-scale, artisanal and subsistence fisheries; and
- coordinate and cooperate closely with other relevant international organizations on matters of common interest.
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| Functions | | |
The Commission has the following main functions and responsibilities:- to contribute to improved governance through institutional arrangements that encourage cooperation amongst members;
- to assist its members in implementing relevant international fisheries instruments, in particular the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and its related International Plans of Action;
- to promote, coordinate and, as appropriate, undertake the collection, exchange and dissemination of statistical, biological, environmental and socio-economic data and other marine fishery information as well as its analysis or study;
- to promote, coordinate and, as appropriate, strengthen the development of institutional capacity and human resources, particularly through education, training and extension activities in the areas of competence of the Commission;
- to promote and facilitate harmonizing of relevant national laws and regulations, and compatibility of conservation and management measures
- to assist its Members in and facilitate, as appropriate and upon their request, the conservation, management and development of transboundary and straddling stocks under their respective national jurisdictions;
- to seek funds and other resources to ensure the long-term operations of the Commission and establish, as appropriate, a trust fund for voluntary contributions to this end;
- to serve as a conduit of independent funding to its members for initiatives related to conservation, management and development of the living resources in the area of competence of the Commission.
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| Area of Competence | | |
Western Central Atlantic Ocean
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| Species and stocks coverage | | |
| All living marine resources, without prejudice to the management responsibilities and authority of other competent fisheries and other living marine resources management organizations or arrangements in the area.
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| Legal Framework | | |
WECAFC was established in 1973 by Resolution 4/61 of the FAO Council under Article VI (1) of the FAO Constitution. Its Statutes were amended by the FAO Council at its Seventy-fourth Session in December 1978 and by the Hundred and Thirty-first Session of the FAO Council in November 2006.
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