The Programme is implemented under the overall responsibility of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department's Marine and Inland Fisheries Branch (FIAF). 
Execution of the programme is ensured through the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) based at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The PCU is staffed by:

• Programme Coordinator
• Programme Analyst/Operations Officer
• One Socio-economist  
• Programme Assistant
• Office Assistant
• IMR Research Coordinator.

The PCU is also o supported by a Survey Coordinator based at IMR, Bergen, Norway.

The programme benefits from technical advice from the different branches of FAO Headquarters and the FAO regional and sub-regional offices, and from technical staff at IMR as well as for the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries.

Programme Consultative Structure

The Programme consultative structure is depicted below. The main consultative mechanisms include: the Programme Forum, the Regional Steering Committees, and the FAO/Norad/IMR meetings.