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Geneva, 5 July 2023 — Fish and fish products are among the most highly traded wildlife commodities. Amid rising demand in the fisheries sector, it is critical that institutions work together to ensure sustainable, legal and traceable trade in fish and fish products, in accordance with the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

On 19 June 2023, at the 32^nd Meeting of the CITES Animals Committee in Geneva (19 – 23 June 2023), the Development Law Service of the Legal Office (LEGN) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the CITES Secretariat, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), delivered the side eventFAO-CITES: strengthening institutional cooperation for better sustainability and Legality Findings in the fisheries sector. This side event was well attended, with over 40 participants.

The CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero’s, in her opening remarks, noted that there are three key areas for enhancing synergies under the partnership processes: “1) succinct and targeted information sharing, 2) thematic dialogue between agency counterparts at appropriate levels, and 3) the convening of events such as this one where opportunities to collaborate can and do emerge.”

Mr Juan Carlos Vasquez, Chief of the CITES Legal Unit, reiterated the importance of supporting species-based conservation measures for the sustainability of fisheries, the ocean and communities’ livelihoods. LEGN shared key findings from its numerous legal training workshops, with seven Pacific Island countries  (2021), eleven Caribbean countries (2022), and thirteen Latin American and Caribbean countries (2023). The workshops trained participants on linkages between CITES and fisheries and on how to use the FAO-CITES Legal Study and Guide. LEGN underscored the importance of collaboration between fisheries authorities and CITES authorities, through sharing of information, data, and other relevant evidence that can support the making of legal acquisition findings (LAF) and non-detriment findings (NDF) for commercially exploited aquatic species included in CITES Appendix II.

UNCTAD and OECS shared findings from the UNCTAD-OECS Blue BioTrade Project, which aims at empowering small-scale coastal producers in the Caribbean region by promoting sustainable livelihoods, legal trade and conservation of marine biodiversity. A panel featured perspectives on institutional cooperation with respect to introduction from the sea (IFS), NDF and LAF from Mr Mauro Gongora, Fisheries Department Officer of Belize, Mr Hugh Robertson, Conservation Scientist of the Department of Conservation of New Zealand, and Ms Frida Rodriguez, from Peru’s delegation. Ms Rodriguez noted that in Peru, while there have been significant changes and reforms in the implementation of CITES (e.g., through traceability system for Shark Landing Certificates, implementation of fishing quotas for hammerhead sharks, and development of NDFs for the species involved in the international trade of shark products), cross-border cooperation among countries that share stocks of shark species needs to be strengthened to achieve comprehensive management.

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