FAO News and Events RSS Feed

Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) - Advisory Board Meeting

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH)
N 2, rue de Tiznit
Casablanca 01, Morocco

Local contact:
Mr M'hammed El Ahdal (Chef de division de la communication et de la documentation à l'INRH): elahdal@inrh.org.ma | m.elahdal@yahoo.fr
and
Ms Bouchra Bazi (Chef de service de la difusion de l'information et de veille technologique): bouchrabazi@gmail.com
Tel: 212 2 20 08 49
Fax: 212 2 26 69 67

ASFA Website

COFI - Sub-Committee on Aquaculture - 5th Session (FI-702-5)

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Webpage:
http://www.fao.org/fishery/about/cofi/aquaculture

Global Conference on Aquaculture (co-organized by FAO)

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Brochure of the Conference | Website

COFI - Sub-Committee on Fish Trade - 12th Session - (FI-709-12)

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

GFCM - General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - 34th Session

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

GFCM - Committee on Compliance (CoC) - 4th Session

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

GFCM - Committee on Administration and Finance (CAF) - 1st Session

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

CECAF - Scientific Sub-Committee - 6th Session (RAF-710-6)

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

IOTC - Indian Ocean Tuna Commission - 14th Session (FI-733-14)

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

For further information and documentation click here

GFCM - Scientific Advisory Committee - 12th Session

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting documents

IOTC - Scientific Committee - 12th Session (FI-734-a12)

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Website

D4Science World User Meeting

Fri, 7 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Objectives of the meeting:

Follow up on opportunities and innovative projects implementing advanced e-Infrastructures for multi-disciplinary scientific communities;

Share experiences, best practices and discuss the most recent advances in e-Infrastructures with emphasis on how to exploit possible synergies;

Showcase the latest experiences in building dynamic monitoring progress reports and the most recent results in harmonisation and combination of distributed structured data sources for generation of enhanced indicators;

Identify the perspectives of the user communities and discuss the road map for D4Science-II Virtual Research Environments.

D4Science Web site

Groundbreaking treaty on illegal fishing approved

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A new treaty that aims to close fishing ports to ships involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been approved by FAO's governing Conference.

SWIOFC - Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) - Scientific Commission 4th Session

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

1st D4Science World User meeting

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

D4Science, the innovative European e-infrastructure project involving 11 partners, will hold its first world user meeting from 25-26 November 2009 at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations headquarters (Rome, Italy). D4Science aims to establish networking, grid-based and data-centric e-infrastructures that accelerate multidisciplinary research, with emphasis on earth science monitoring applications and a current focus on fisheries and aquatic biodiversity.
The two-day meeting will focus on:

sharing experiences, best practices and discuss the most recent advances in e Infrastructures with emphasis on how to exploit possible synergies;

showcasing the latest D4Science experiences in building dynamic monitoring progress reports, and the most recent results in harmonization and combination of distributed structured data sources for generation of enhanced indicators;

identifying the perspectives of the user communities and discuss the road map for D4Science-II Virtual Research Environments.
For more information visit the D4Science site.

The new EU-funded project D4Science-II ('Data infrastructure ecosystem for science') has held its kick-off meeting from 13 to 16 October in Pisa, Italy

MARGARITA LIZÁRRAGA MEDAL AWARD 2008-2009

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

FAO has awarded the Margarita Lizárraga Medal to the Honourable Dr Abraham Iyambo, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Namibia. Dr Iyambo is the first individual to receive the medal, while the previous five winners were organizations. He was selected in recognition of his distinguished leadership at the national, regional and international levels in relation to the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries through implementation of responsible fisheries science, policies and management as well as through substantive contribution to the negotiations leading to the Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem , to the establishment of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project (BCLME), the Benguela-Environment-Fisheries-Interaction and Training Programme (BENEFIT) and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO).

In 1997 the FAO Conference instituted the Margarita Lizárraga Medal to be awarded every two years to a person or organization that has served with distinction in the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Medal pays tribute to Ms Margarita Lizárraga, Senior Fishery Liaison Officer, for her decisive role in promoting the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

New fisheries commission for Central Asia and the Caucasus

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Creation of the regional fisheries body will mark a turning point for a sector in decline.
FAO's governing Council has unanimously approved the creation of a new regional fisheries management body for the Central Asia and Caucasus region. Its mission will be to work regionally to promote the development, conservation, rational management and best utilization of living aquatic resources and the sustainable development of aquaculture in its member countries.

RECOFI - Third meeting of the Working Group on Fisheries Management (WG-FM)

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting documents

RECOFI - Third Meeting of the Working Group on Fisheries Management

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) will hold the Third Meeting of the Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM) in Doha, Qatar from 20 to 22 October 2009. WGFM is a mechanism to promote more effective regional fisheries cooperation among RECOFI member countries, and importantly to address and resolve fisheries problems of common concern.

For full story:
english | arabic

Healthy oceans new key to combating climate change

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Action needed to maintain and restore 'blue carbon' sinks warn three UN agencies.
A 'Blue Carbon' fund able to invest in the maintenance and rehabilitation of key marine ecosystems should be considered by governments keen to combat climate change.

APFIC - Regional Consultative Workshop on Best Practices for Supporting and Improving Livelihoods of Small-scale Fisheries and Aquaculture Households

Wed, 27 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100

APFIC Website

Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010 -
Farming the Waters for People and Food

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Recognizing the importance of aquaculture to global food security and rural socio-economic development, and to analyse the sector’s future development, FAO has partnered with NACA and the Government of Thailand to co-organize the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010 to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 9-12 June 2010. http://www.aqua-conference2010.org

Proceedings of the FAO-OECD round table on ecolabelling and certification in the fisheries sector

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The proceedings of the round table on ecolabelling and certification in the fisheries sector, jointly organized by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department and the OECD Committee for Fisheries, are now available. At the invitation of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the meeting was held in The Hague, The Netherlands from 22-23 April 2009 and brought together representatives from the fishing industry (producers, processors, buyers, and retailers), NGOs, ecolabelling schemes, certification bodies, academia, governments and relevant international organizations.

APFIC - Executive Committee - 72nd Session

Wed, 27 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100

APFIC Website

Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) - Advisory Board Meeting

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
National Institute of Oceanography (NIO)(CSIR)
National Information Centre for Marine Sciences (NICMAS)
Library
Dona Paula, 403 004
Goa, India

Local contact:
Mr. G. Sainekar: saine@nio.org | sainekar@gmail.com
Tel: +91 (0) 832 2450 ext. 370
Fax: 91 (0) 832 2450 602/03

ASFA Website

COPESCAL - Commission for Inland Fisheries of Latin America - 11th Session (RLC-758-11)

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Further information as well as the documents can be downloaded from http://www.rlc.fao.org/es/comisiones/copescal/default.htm

New treaty will leave fish pirates without safe haven

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

91 FAO Members have agreed on an international agreement to implement “port state measures” to combat illegal fishing
The final text of a new treaty that aims to close fishing ports to vessels involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been agreed upon by a group of 91 countries during talks brokered by FAO, the UN agency announced today.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department receives 'Special Achievement in GIS' Award

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, in recognition of its vision, leadership and innovation in geographic information system (GIS) technology, received a 'Special Achievement in GIS' Award from ESRI (a GIS software developer). The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department was selected from more than 300,000 organizations worldwide and honoured for making extraordinary contributions to global society.

FAO's GISFish site was singled out for its aim to improve the sustainability of aquaculture and inland fisheries through easy access to comprehensive information on applications and training opportunities. Although there are many opportunities to use GIS, remote sensing and mapping to improve the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture, the widespread use of these tools is impeded by limited awareness of their benefits and lack of access to experiences on how they can be deployed. GISFish was created to overcome these impediments.

Visit the GISFish Web site
More information on the Award and the GISFish project

Technical Consultation to draft a legally-binding instrument on port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (FI-807-3) (Third resumed session)

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Chairperson's Draft Agreement (18/5/2009) | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Drafts from intersessional consultations
Art.9 | Art.17

Information Paper submitted by Japan

Comments submitted by the Republic of Korea

Agenda of this Consultation | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Prospectus | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Revised Draft Annexes | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Guidelines for completing Annexes A and C

Meeting documents

Technical Meeting to Review the Technical Annexes... Rome, 25-27/11/2008

Participants' comments on draft text

Participants' comments on appendices

Margarita Lizárraga Medal

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

In 1997 the FAO Conference instituted the Margarita Lizárraga Medal to be awarded every two years to a person or organization that has served with distinction in the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Medal pays tribute to Ms Margarita Lizárraga, Senior Fishery Liaison Officer, for her decisive role in promoting the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries for her productive work in the field of fisheries for almost forty years, for her great dedication to FAO and for her strong commitment towards fostering the promotion of the fisheries sector, especially in developing countries.

The Selection Committee unanimously agreed to award the 2008-2009 Margarita Lizárraga Medal to the Honourable Abraham Iyambo, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Namibia. Dr Iyambo is the first individual to be awarded the medal (the five earlier winners were organizations*). He was selected in recognition of his national, regional and international leadership with distinction in the application of the Code through implementation of responsible fisheries science, policies and management including the negotiations leading to the Reykjavik Declaration, his contribution to establishment of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project (BCLME), the Benguela-Environment-Fisheries-Interaction and Training Programme (BENEFIT) and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO).

The Medal will be presented to Dr Iyambo by the FAO Director-General during the Thirty-sixth Session of the Conference to be held in Rome, Italy in November 2009.

* For full list of previous winners of the Margarita Lizárraga Medal

Opportunities for inland fisheries in Central Asia

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Fisheries in Central Asia was one of –- if not the most –- acutely-affected sectors by the deterioration in the economic environment after the collapse of the former Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991. The findings of a 2008 study on inland fisheries livelihoods in Central Asia, conducted in partnership between Portsmouth University, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), examines current policies and potential livelihood-enhancing interventions. Inland fisheries livelihoods in Central Asia: policy interventions and opportunities, now available online, looks at strategies that have evolved for those who earn an income from the sector. Three distinct groupings emerge: the Kazakh "fisher brigades" based on the North Aral Sea, the "community" fishers of Kyrgyz Republic and the pond culturalists of the Republic of Tajikistan. This FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper also identifies the prerequisites for more effective livelihood-supporting policy interventions within the fisheries sphere across the Central Asian republics.

The state of world capture fisheries insurance

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Capture fisheries in marine and inland areas involve risks - from the loss of gear and equipment to the vessel itself. A recent FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, Review of the current state of world capture fisheries insurance, provides an overview of the current status of capture fisheries insurance in the world. The document, now available online, presents the findings of a number of regional and national review desk studies carried out between December 2006 and January 2008 covering China, Japan and India in Asia, Europe, Africa, the United States of America in North America, South America, Oceania and the Russian Federation. A summary synthesis of the studies is included along with information about the insurance market, demand and supply issues, perils covered, vessels insured, risk management methods applied and underwriting experiences. It contains conclusions and practical recommendations for improvement of capture fisheries insurance services and for increasing access to and availability of fisheries insurance for small- and medium-scale fishers in developing countries.

Zambezi hit by killer fish disease

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Risks spreading to other parts of Africa.
A killer disease is decimating fish stocks in the Zambezi River Valley, threatening the food security and livelihoods of rural populations in an area shared by seven countries, FAO warned today.

Extending responsible fisheries management to the ocean deeps

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

On World Oceans Day, FAO releases technical guidelines on deep sea fishing.
On the first-ever UN World Oceans Day FAO has published a set of technical guidelines aimed at helping the fisheries sector reduce its impacts on fragile deep-sea fish species and ecosystems.

Climate change talks mustn't forget fisheries

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Responses to climate change must protect aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture — and make the most of them

Saying that vulnerable fishing and coastal communities around the world will bear the brunt of climate change's impacts, a group of 16 international organizations today have urged climate negotiators to ensure that fisheries and aquaculture are not neglected in ongoing discussions regarding a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.

Fisheries and aquaculture in a changing climate

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Climate change impacts such as more frequent and severe floods and droughts will affect the food and water security of many people. The impact and consequences of climate change on aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture -- and on the people that depend on them -- remain uncertain and less well-known. FAO, in partnership with several agencies, highlights the issues of climate change in relation to aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture in a new Policy Brief Fisheries and Aquaculture in a Changing Climate. Aimed at decision-makers and climate change negotiators, the brief describes the role of healthy aquatic ecosystems for food and livelihood security, the crucial role of oceans in climate change and suggests possible mitigation and adaptation tactics as part of a wider aquatic agenda.

Read the communiqué from Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, and Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, explaining why States need to include aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture issues when formulating their actions to combat climate change.

APFIC - Regional Workshop on Practical Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries and Aquaculture in the APFIC Region

Wed, 27 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100

APFIC Website

Finland gives 1.76 million euro for FAO fishery programme in Kyrgyzstan

Tue, 12 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100

New support for fisheries and aquaculture management in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Finland and FAO have signed a 1.76 million euro Trust Fund Project to improve fisheries and aquaculture management in the Kyrgyz Republic during the period 2009 – 2012.

To read all story:
english | russian

RECOFI - Regional Commission for Fisheries - 5th Session - (RNE-739-5)

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Information for participants

Meeting documents

Ghost nets hurting marine environment

Wed, 6 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear is impacting fish stocks and poses a hazard to boats.
Large amounts of fishing gear lost at sea or abandoned by fishers are hurting the marine environment, impacting fish stocks through "ghost fishing" and posing a hazard to ships, according to a new report jointly produced by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Technical Consultation to draft a legally-binding instrument on port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (FI-807) (Second resumed session)

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Chairperson's Draft Agreement | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Drafts from intersessional consultations
Art.9 | Art.17

Information Paper submitted by Japan

Comments submitted by the Republic of Korea

Agenda and timetable of this Consultation | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Meeting location:
FAO - Green Room (A first floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy

Registration | french | spanish

Prospectus | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Revised Draft Annexes | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Guidelines for completing Annexes A and C

Meeting documents

Technical Meeting to Review the Technical Annexes..... Rome, 25-27 November 2008

Participants' comments on draft text

Participants'comments on appendices

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Web site survey

Mon, 18 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has launched an online survey to know what users think about its Web site. Please take 5 minutes to participate and help us improve the current Web site -- click here to access the survey.

Round Table on Ecolabelling and Certification in the Fisheries Sector: Co -organised by FAO, OECD and the Government of The Netherlands

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Proceedings

Round Table Introduction

Round Table Programme

The trouble with sea cucumbers

Wed, 1 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0100

FAO report says overfishing putting sea cukes at risk.
For many in the western world, they're a summer oddity — strange blobs we sometimes see bobbing about on the seafloor beneath us during a day at the beach. But across Asia, sea cucumbers have long been a staple in peoples' diets, mainly in soups, stews and stir-fries, and demand for this homely undersea animal — cucumber is a misnomer, they're really echinoderms — is high.

IOTC - Indian Ocean Tuna Commission - 13th Session (FI-733-13)

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100

For further information and documentation click here

FAO yearbook: Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics now available

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The FAO Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics Yearbook contains data on capture production, aquaculture production and commodities. Consult general notes and summaries for each online or contact FI-Inquiries@fao.org for more information.

Strategy and Outline Plan for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture

Wed, 1 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Strategy and Outline Plan for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture, published by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, is now online. The Strategy-STA is a voluntary instrument that applies to all States and entities. Its overall objective is to provide a framework, strategy and plan for the improvement of knowledge and understanding of status and trends of aquaculture as a basis for policy-making and management. Required actions are specified, with a primary emphasis on the need for capacity building in developing countries.

GFCM - Committee on Compliance (CoC) - 3rd Session

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100

For more information, please click on the related items in the quick links box on this home page

FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the risks and benefits of fish consumption : call for experts and information & data

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

FAO/WHO are planning an expert consultation on the risks and benefits of fish consumption for January 2010 and are seeking:

scientific experts to participate -- specifically looking at the risks associated with methylmercury and dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in fish and the health benefits of fish consumption.
information and data to submit -- in particular relevant recent studies and benefit/risk assessments.

Deadline 15 August 2009:
for information and details on how to apply
for information and details on how to send material

GFCM - General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - 33rd Session (FI-716-33)

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

For more information, please click on the related items in the quick links box on this home page.

Report

Regional Fishery Body Secretariats Network addresses United Nations body

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Regional Fishery Body Secretariats Network (RSN) delivered a statement during the eighth round of Informal Consultations of States Parties to the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (the Agreement), taking place 16-19 March 2009 at UN headquarters in New York. The RSN emphasized that it can provide a valuable international resource for disseminating information relating to the Agreement and for contributing information on regional and sub-regional experiences associated with its implementation.
More information availabe at the RSN Web site.

Regional Aquaculture Information System (RAIS) online

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Regional Aquaculture Information System (RAIS) Web site, created by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department under the aegis of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI), is now online. RAIS aims to facilitate the exchange of aquaculture information in the Gulf area among regional experts and stakeholders and to promote and develop a sustainable aquaculture industry.

Second Meeting of Regional Fishery Body Secretariats Network - (RSN-2) (FI-609-2)

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - Ethiopia Room (C285/289)
FAO - Philippines Room (C277/281)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy

EAF-Nansen Web site online

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A new Web site promoting the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) in developing countries is now available online. EAF-Nansen highlights a five-year project to strengthen regional and country efforts to reduce poverty and create favorable conditions for food security through development of sustainable fisheries management regimes -- specifically by applying the EAF principles. The initial focus is on Sub-Saharan Africa. The EAF-Nansen project is executed by FAO in close collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) of Bergen, Norway and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

Brazil signs on to high seas fishing agreement

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100

FAO compliance agreement is a unique effort to improve management of high seas fishing and fight illegal fishing

World fisheries must prepare for climate change

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100

FAO releases new "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report.
The fishing industry and national fisheries authorities must do more to understand and prepare for the impacts that climate change will have on world fisheries, says a new FAO report published today.

COFI - Committee on Fisheries - 28th Session - (FI-701-28)

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report | Meeting documents

FAO will make a presentation of the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2008 before the official opening of the Session.

Provisional List of Side Events

Registration form
Kindly have this form filled out for each Delegate and either sent back via fax to +390657056500 or by e-mail to FAO-COFI@fao.org
Delegates' badges may be signed for and collected at the Turkish Registration Centre, Ground Floor, Building A, FAO Headquarters on:

Friday 27 February from 14:00 to 17:00;

Sunday 1 March from 14:00 to 17:00; and

Monday, 2 March from 08:00 onwards.

Shrimp fisheries under scrutiny

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Reducing fishing capacity and limiting access to shrimp fisheries, is likely to mitigate overfishing, bycatch and seabed destruction, some of the major economic and environmental side-effects of shrimp fishing.

Understanding and applying risk analysis in aquaculture

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Risk analysis is an objective, systematic, standardized and defensible method of assessing the likelihood of negative consequences occurring due to a proposed action or activity and the likely magnitude of those consequences. The recently-published FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, Understanding and applying risk analysis in aquaculture, describes the application of risk analysis to seven risk sectors in aquaculture production -- i.e. pathogen risks, food safety and public health risks, genetic risks, ecological (pest) risks, environmental risks, financial risks and social risks -- which can lead to improved profitability and sustainability of the sector.

Planned treaty will close ports to fish pirates

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100

FAO-brokered talks lay groundwork for binding agreement to combat illegal fishing

RECOFI - Working Group on Aquaculture (WGA) - 4th meeting

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report

Agenda

Technical Consultation to draft a legally-binding instrument on port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (FI-807) (resumed session)

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - Red Room (A first floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy

Registration | french | spanish

Prospectus | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Chairperson's Draft Agreement | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Revised Draft Annexes | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Guidelines for completing Annexes A and C

Agenda and timetable of this Consultation | arabic | french | spanish

Meeting documents

Technical Meeting to Review the Technical Annexes..... Rome, 25-27 November 2008

Comments on draft text (to be submitted by 15 September 2008)

Comments on appendices (to be submitted by 15 September 2008)

RECOFI - Working Group on Aquaculture (WGA) - Regional technical workshop on sustainable marine cage aquaculture development

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report

Agenda

Regulation of Norwegian net-cage fish farming

Review document on cage aquaculture licensing procedures

test photo 2

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Global study of shrimp fisheries

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A recently-published FAO Fisheries Technical Paper presents the results of a global study on the development and status of shrimp fisheries, with a focus on direct and indirect social, economic and environmental impacts. The Global study of shrimp fisheries, now available online, reviews the current situation, problems and issues, as well as the solutions found and the trade-offs in shrimp fisheries and includes ten country case studies.

Building an ecosystem approach to aquaculture

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Aquaculture growth worldwide involves the expansion of cultivated areas, an increasing number of farms (all sizes), higher density of aquaculture installations and farmed individuals, and greater use of feed resources produced outside the immediate culture area. Recently-published FAO proceedings, Building an ecosystem approach to aquaculture, present the output of an expert workshop organized by FAO and the Univesitat de les Balears from 7-11 May 2007 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. It includes contributed papers on definitions, principles, scales and management measures, human dimensions, economic implications and legal implications that are relevant for an ecosystem-based management in aquaculture.

Sea cucumbers - A global review of fisheries and trade

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A comprehensive and up-to-date evaluation of the global status of sea cucumber populations, fisheries, trade and management is now available. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, Sea cucumbers - a global review of fisheries and trade reviews the worldwide population status, fishery and trade of sea cucumbers from five regions, covering known sea cucumber fishing grounds: temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere; Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and the Indian Ocean; Asia; and the Western Central Pacific.

Rehabilitation of inland waters for fisheries

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Many rivers, lakes and other inland waters have been modified and degraded by human activities. Rehabilitation of degraded systems and mitigation of impacts of ongoing stresses are needed to preserve ecosystem services and fisheries, and are of a high priority if the aquatic biodiversity of inland waters is to be conserved. The new FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries, Inland Fisheries - Rehabilitation of inland waters for fisheries, recommend to apply methods available for the rehabilitation and mitigation to restore habitat diversity in an aim to benefit fish and fisheries.

GFCM - Committee on Aquaculture - 6th Session

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report

Information | Registration

Invitation:
English | Français | Español | Arabic

Meeting documents

GFCM - Committee on Aquaculture - 10th SIPAM Annual Meeting

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Agenda | Registration Form

CIFAA - Committee for Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture of Africa - 15th Session (RAF-745-15)

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Information note | Meeting documents

Managing fishing capacity

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Overcapacity is a key factor contributing to the decline in many of the world’s fisheries. The FAO International Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity (IPOA-Capacity) encourages States to address this problem by aligning fishing capacity with sustainable use of their fish stocks. The recently-published FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries Fisheries Management - Managing fishing capacity (No. 4, Suppl. 3) is intended to help stakeholders, fisheries managers and policy-makers in the development of national and regional plans of action for the management of fishing capacity. The guidelines outline the key concepts and techniques for monitoring, measuring and assessing capacity, and they provide information about the design and effects of different management programmes on fishing capacity.

GFCM - Scientific Advisory Committee - 11th Session

Fri, 22 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report

Information | Registration form

Invitation:
English | Français | Español | Arabic

Meeting documents

Margarita Lizárraga Medal Award 2008-2009

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0100
Nominations are now invited for the Margarita Lizárraga Award for the biennium 2008-2009. The Award pays tribute to Ms Margarita Lizárraga, a Mexican national and an officer in the Fisheries Department at the time of her passing away in 1997, and is presented biennially to a person or organization that has served with distinction in the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries of FAO. More

Informal open-ended Technical Meeting to Review the Annexes of the Draft Legally-Binding Instrument on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100

The technical meeting is being convened at the request of the Chairperson to review the technical annexes to the Draft Legally-Binding Instrument on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.

The meeting will be held at FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy from 25 to 27 November 2008 in the Lebanon Room (Building D 2nd Floor).

It will be held in English only and Members will meet the cost of their participation.

To faciliate administrative arrangements for participation please notify by email to Raschad Al-Khafaji by completing the nomination form.

Annexes

Agenda and timetable

African Water Resource Database (AWRD) available on DVD and CD-ROM

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The African Water Resource Database (AWRD) -- a set of data and custom-designed tools, combined in a geographic information system (GIS) analytical framework aimed at facilitating responsible inland aquatic resource management with a specific focus on inland fisheries and aquaculture -- is now available on the internet at http://www.fao.org/fishery/gisfish/id/2389 or upon request to FAO/FIMA in a set of two DVD's or ten CD-ROMs. Please consult the link below or contact us at FI-inquiries@fao.org for copies and further information.

Fisheries management: status and challenges -- by Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100
With fish providing at least 20% of animal protein intake for at least 1.5 billion people worldwide, it is critical that fisheries management is both efficient and effective. The idea of inexhaustable fisheries must be replaced by the recognition that access to fisheries must be restricted if they are to sustainably generate wealth and to alleviate poverty.

Read the grand keynote speech, Fisheries Management: Status and Challenges, given by Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department at the Fifth World Fisheries Congress on 21 October 2008 at Pacifico Yokahama, Yokohama, Japan.

Also consult the accompanying slide presentation.

Monitoring and managing queen conch fisheries

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Technical Paper, Monitoring and managing queen conch fisheries: a manual, is now online. The publication presents guidelines on the requirements for responsible management of the fisheries exploiting Caribbean queen conch (Strombus gigas), with particular emphasis on the requirements to comply with the relevant regulations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It also provides three examples of management systems for industrial, artisanal and non-directed fisheries.

Regional Intergovernmental meeting to Initiate the Establishment of a Central Asian Regional Fisheries Organization

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report

Meeting documents

Fisheries crisis in Central Asia

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Dramatic drops in production – regional cooperation key to solving the problem

Code of practice for recreational fisheries

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The EIFAC Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries was prepared in 2007 by the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC) Working Party on Recreational Fisheries, involving experts and related stakeholders from Europe, North-America and Oceania. Available online, the EIFAC Code of Practice for Recreational Fisheries is intended to complement the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Code was endorsed by EIFAC at its 25th session, held in May 2008 in Antalya, Turkey. It serves as a core document that describes the minimum standards of environmentally-friendly, ethically-appropriate and – depending on local situations – socially acceptable recreational fishing and its management.

CECAF - Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic - 19th Session (RAF-740-19)

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting documents

Towards integrated assessment and advice in small-scale fisheries

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has recently published Towards integrated assessment and advice in small-scale fisheries: Principles and processes. This technical paper presents the principles and processes for integrated assessment and advice in small-scale fisheries. It discusses the failures of conventional assessment and management approaches; presents the conceptual origins and principles of integrated assessment in small-scale fisheries; introduces the framework; explains the assessment within the broader planning and management cycle; and finally discusses the implementation of the framework.

Global review of capture-based aquaculture

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Capture-based aquaculture -- the harvesting of wild individuals for on-growing under confined and controlled conditions -- is used in aquaculture fish production. The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, in an effort to evaluate the sustainability of this farming practice while promoting the responsible use of wild fish and fishery resources, has published Capture-based aquaculture - global review. This technical paper contains two reviews on environmental/biodiversity and social/economic impacts of capture-based aquaculture as well as eleven species review papers. Both marine and freshwater examples have been reviewed and include finfish (mullet, bluefin tuna, European eel, cod, grouper, yellowtail, Clarias catfish, Indian major carps, and snakehead and Pangasiid catfish), crustaceans (mud crab) and molluscs (oyster).

COPESCAL - Commission for Inland Fisheries of Latin America - Intersessional Working Party

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100

RECOFI - Second Session of the Working Group on Fisheries Management (WG-FM)

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report

Information note

Meeting documents

GFCM - Committee on Aquaculture - Working Group on Siting and Carrying Capacity

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Report | Agenda | Registration

WECAFC - Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission - 13th Session (FI-739-13) - Lesser Antilles Fisheries Committee - 10th Session (FI-766-10)

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100
Information | Note d'information | Nota informativa
Report | Meeting documents

The future of mariculture: a regional approach for responsible development in the Asia-Pacific region - (Aquaculture)

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Aquaculture in southeast Asia has been growing steadily over the last decades, requiring more space to accommodate it. The search for additional areas to expand the aquaculture industry as a whole and the identification of new farming species of commercial value are pushing the sector in some countries to broaden activities in the sea, including further offshore where more space is available and competition less intense. The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), organized a regional workshop to identify key trends and issues affecting mariculture growth in the Asia-Pacific region and to strengthen regional collaboration for future responsible development of mariculture. The results of the workshop are availabe as FAO Fisheries Proceedings No. 11 The future of mariculture: a regional approach for responsible development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Global Conference on Small-Scale Fisheries
(Co-organised with Thai Department of Fisheries)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100

For further information, please consult the conference web site

Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries: Bringing together responsible fisheries and social development

US$50 billion lost by marine fishing each year

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100
New World Bank - FAO report reveals "the sunken billions"
Economic losses in marine fisheries resulting from poor management, inefficiencies, and overfishing add up to a staggering US$50 billion per year, according to a new World Bank-FAO report released today. Taken over the last three decades, these losses total over $US2 trillion, a figure roughly equivalent to the GDP of Italy.

Is the aquaculture boom starting to fade?
New questions on the future of fish farming

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The aquaculture industry has reached an important crossroads, with new challenges emerging regarding the sector’s ability to meet future world demand for fish.

COFI - Sub-Committee on Aquaculture - 4th Session (FI-702-4)

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100
Report
Information to Participants:
arabic | chinese | english | español | français | russian
Technical Visit Programme:
english | español

List of hotels in Puerto Varas
Meeting documents

Webpage:
http://www.fao.org/fishery/about/cofi/aquaculture

Line fishers catching fewer ... birds

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Seabird safeguards urged for net fisheries too
Safeguards introduced in recent years to protect seabirds from longline fishing activities are successfully reducing the number of accidental bird kills, and experts are now calling for similar measures to be used in other forms of industrial fishing in areas where seabirds are at greatest risk. According to figures reported to FAO, collateral damage to seabirds by Chilean longline fisheries dropped from 1600 kills - including 1500 Albatrosses -- in 2002 to zero in 2006. Significant progress was also reported in the southern Ocean around Antarctica, where bird kills went from 6500 in 1996 to zero in 2007 and in Australian waters, where unintentional seabird "bycatches" dropped from 2000 to 200.

SWIOFC - Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) - Scientific Commission 3rd Session

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report

FAO publication on bivalve depuration (Aquaculture)

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100
World bivalve production and consumption has increased significantly during recent years and with it challenges for ensuring product quality and safety. The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has recently published a technical paper, Bivalve depuration: fundamental and practical aspects, which provides a basic introduction to the public health problems that can be associated with shellfish consumption. The document gives guidance to the bivalve industry as to how a depuration centre, and the associated systems, should be planned, constructed and operated. It is mainly targeted at new operators or those with limited experience, as well as fishery and public health officers who deal with the bivalve industry and is of particular importance for several developing countries where the bivalve industry is expanding quickly in order to gain an ever-larger share of the expanding bivalve international market.

FAO publications on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing available in Russian

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Two key FAO publications on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are now available online in Russian. You can consult the full text in Russian of the International Plan of Action to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The booklet Stopping illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing describes, in a non-technical manner, important aspects of the International Plan of Action in order to make the Plan's complex information more accessible and understandable to a wider public.

FAO Glossary of Aquaculture

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Glossary of Aquaculture is now available in hard copy. Already published online since April 2006, FAO decided to produce print and CD-ROM versions in order to reach a wider audience -- and particularly to make it available for those without fast Internet connection. The Glossary contains approximately 2 500 terms and includes definitions, information sources, synonyms, related terms and images when available. Terms and definitions are available in five FAO official languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese).

Better management for fishing's 'last frontier'

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Countries agree on guidelines for protecting deep-sea species and habitats.
After two years of preparation and negotiation, FAO Members have adopted international guidelines aimed at limiting the impact of fishing on fragile deep sea fish species and habitats. The guidelines provide a framework that fishing nations should use when operating in high-seas areas outside of national jurisdictions, where many deep sea fisheries (DSF) are located.

Second Session of the Technical Consultation on International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-Sea Fisheries in the High Seas (FI-806-2)

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Meeting location:
FAO - Green Room (A-1st floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy
Registration will open at 8:30am on Monday 25 August 2008, the Consultation will begin at 9:30am

Registration English | Français | Español |

Meeting documents

Human dimensions of the ecosystem approach to fisheries

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100
A new FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, Human dimensions of the ecosystem approach to fisheries: an overview of context, concepts, tools and methods, offers an understanding of the role of the economic, institutional and sociocultural components within the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) and examines potential EAF management methods and approaches in support of its application.

APFIC - Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission - 30th Session (RAP-711-30)

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100

APFIC - Regional Consultative Forum - 2nd Session

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100

FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries - online in Russian

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100
A booklet describing important aspects of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in a non-technical manner is now available online in Russian. What is the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries? presents some of the complex information contained within the Code in a simplified form in an attempt to make it more accessible to all users of fisheries. The booklet is available online in 11 other languages.

Procedures for the quarantine of live aquatic animals - A manual

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Quarantine is an important risk management measure and a key activity that should be considered when developing national strategies for aquatic animal health management. It can also be used effectively to increase biosecurity at the farm production level. A recent FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, Procedures for the quarantine of live aquatic animals - A manual, outlines the technical requirements for setting up quarantine facilities.

Fisheries self-governance

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100
A recent FAO Fisheries Technical Paper on the role of industry in the governance and management of fisheries is now available online. Case studies in fisheries self-governance documents 32 case studies and four syntheses (Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States of America) drawn from ongoing practices in Europe, North America, Japan and Australasia. These case studies are intended to inform and provide potential models that may be used in other fisheries.

FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Department launches new CITES site

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement among governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants -- including aquatic species -- does not threaten their survival. FAO and CITES have been working closely to deal with some of the technical difficulties faced by countries in fulfilling the requirements of a CITES listing. This new Web site intends to provide selected and updated information on the work undertaken by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department on the main issues raised by the harvesting and trade of commercially exploited aquatic species listed in CITES Appendices.

Climate change will have strong impact on fisheries

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Decrease in fisheries production likely – FAO holds scientific symposium.
Temperature and other variations resulting from climate change will have a strong impact on fisheries and aquaculture, with significant food security consequences for certain populations, FAO said this week. The UN food agency’s note of caution came at the start of a four day scientific symposium on climate change and marine fisheries being held at its Rome headquarters (8-11 July 2008). The event, which involves over 200 experts and policymakers from around the globe, aims to paint a fuller picture of the challenges that climate change poses to marine fisheries and the millions of people who depend on them for food and income.

International Symposium on Coping with Global Change in Marine Social-ecological Systems

Wed, 2 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Meeting location:
FAO - Green Meeting Room (A 1st floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy
Registration is taking place on Monday 7 July between 15:30 and 17:30 at the main entrance of FAO

For the Symposium website click here

Introductory Information for Participants

Programme and Abstracts

FIRMS Steering Committee meeting - 5th Session

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Report | Meeting documents

Coping with global change in marine sociol-ecological systems

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Marine ecosystem changes have impacts on, and consequences for, the human communities that depend on these systems, and how these human communities respond can have reciprocal impacts on marine ecosystems. Adding global climate-related changes to this equation means that building "adaptive capacity" is more vital than ever. In order to better understand all the complex issues and challenges facing marine-dependent communities, FAO is hosting and co-organizing an international symposium, Coping with global change in marine social-ecological systems, at its headquarters in Rome, Italy 8-11 July 2008. Experts from a cross-section of scientific and social disciplines will meet to exchange information and share experiences. FAO, Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) and European Network of Excellence for Oceans Ecosystem Analysis (EUR-OCEANS) are the primary co-sponsors and co-organizers of this event.

More funding needed in fight against illegal fishing

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100
FAO project helps countries close ports to pirate fishers, but additional support required.
FAO today appealed to donor countries for US$1 million to support a project designed to help developing countries deny port access to boats involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

SWIOFC - Regional Workshop on the Implementation of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF)

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Prospectus | Notes for participants

Technical Consultation to draft a legally-binding instrument on port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (FI-807)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - Green Room (A first floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy
Registration | french | spanish

Prospectus | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Report of the Expert Consultation on the Development of a Comprehensive Global Record of Fishing Vessels. Rome, 25–28 February 2008
Timetable | arabic | chinese | french | spanish

Meeting documents

FAO database on Port State Measures

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The Database on Port State Measures (Port-Lex) is now available online. Port-Lex provides free access to port state measures adopted by FAO member countries to fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The database is also available in French and Spanish.

New steps toward sustainable trade in fish

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100
International commerce in fishery products now worth US$92 billion a year

Economics of aquaculture feeding practices in selected Asian countries

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Improved feed management strategy, including the use of optimal combinations of fertilizers, feed ingredients and manufactured feeds, could lower costs and optimize production of aquatic species. This calls for an increased understanding of the economics and cost-benefit analysis of these practices.The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Technical Paper, Economics of aquaculture feeding practices in selected Asian countries, is now available online.This document provides an analysis of the economic implications of, and the reasons for, adopting various feeding practices for different fish species and aquaculture systems in Asia. It includes six case studies from Asia (Bangladesh, China, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam), an overall synthesis and recommendations.

IOTC - Indian Ocean Tuna Commission - 12th Session (FI-733-12)

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100

For further information and documentation click here

Summit on world food security and the challenges of climate and bioenergy

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy, takes place in Rome (3-5 June), offers a historic chance to relaunch the fight against hunger and poverty. This unique forum will allow the international community to address the issues of hunger and malnutrition in the face of soaring food prices, climate change, scarce land and water resources, increased energy needs and population growth.

More information on the impact of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture

Half of world fish trade sourced from developing countries

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Driven by rising consumption worldwide, the international trade in fish products is expanding at a rapid pace, according to an FAO paper presented today at an intergovernmental meeting.

COFI - Sub-Committee on Fish Trade - 11th Session - (FI-709-11)

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report (trilingual) | arabic | chinese | russian

Meeting documents | News

Agenda of the Resumed Session of the Technical Consultation: Guidelines for Responsible Fish Trade, Bremen, Germany, Monday 2 June 2008 and Tuesday 3 June 2008 (evening)
English | Français | Español | Arabic
Report of previous Technical Consultation (Rome, 5-7 November 2007)
Trilingual | Arabic | Chinese

Q&A: International trade in fish products expanding

Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Complex, globe-spanning seafood industry offers poor countries opportunities

EIFAC - European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission - 25th Session (FI-727-25), including Symposium on Interactions between Social, Economic and Ecological Objectives of Inland Commercial and Recreational Fisheries and Aquaculture

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Report | Meeting documents
Prospectus

General information

EIFAC brochure

Provisional Programme of the Symposium (21-24 May 2008)| Abstracts of EIFAC Symposium | Report of EIFAC Symposium

FAO's FishInfoNetwork: 25 years and still growing

Tue, 20 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100
A network of independent intergovernmental organizations established by FAO to help developing countries improve post-harvest handling and marketing of fish projects has reached an important milestone.

Comparative assessment of the environmental costs of aquaculture and other food production sectors

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The proceedings of the FAO/WFT expert workshop aimed at undertaking comparative analyses on the environmental cost of aquatic food production in relation to other terrestrial food production, held in Canada in 2006, are now available online. Comparative assessment of the environmental costs of aquaculture and other food production sectors: Methods for meaningful comparisons include review papers from the participating experts on the various aspects of the environmental costs of aquaculture and agriculture.

FishStat Plus: updated statistics now online

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100
FishStat Plus, the FAO universal software for fishery statistical time-series, has been updated with the most recent global statistics. Users can consult datasets on Total Fishery Production (1950-2006), Capture Production (1950-2006), Aquaculture Production (1950-2006), Fisheries Commodities Production and Trade (1976-2006). As an improvement, Aquaculture Production now includes both production and value, which were previously presented as separate datasets. FishStat Plus can store and process each individual dataset, allowing user flexibility and ease. The system also includes the following regional datasets: CECAF (Eastern Central Atlantic) Capture Production (1970-2006), GFCM (Mediterranean and Black Sea) Capture Production (1970-2005), RECOFI (part of Western Indian Ocean) Capture Production (1986-2005) and Southeast Atlantic Capture Production (1975-2005).

Cyclone Nargis and fishery in Myanmar

Thu, 8 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Cyclone Nargis has affected the same areas in the Ayeyarwady division which were hit by the 2004 tsunami claiming lives and resulting in the displacement of thousands of people. This time around, the impact is believed to be far more severe.

Second Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW) -- August 2008

Mon, 5 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The Second Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW) will be held in Trondheim, Norway 7-11 August 2008. This five day training workshop is aimed at all fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance personnel from both developing and developed countries. Focus will be on the presentation of useful techniques, exchange of experiences and solutions to common problems. At least 200 participants are expected. The workshop is hosted by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, sponsored by the International MCS Network, co-sponsored by FAO, the EC, the World Bank and others. Programme details and further information (including nomination form for attendance) are available from the Conference Web site.

Global fishery resources of tuna and tuna-like species

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has published Global fishery resources of tuna and tuna-like species, a review of the state of these resources on a global scale with an emphasis on the commercially important so-called principal market tuna species. This technical paper includes information on the basic biology, catches, stock assessment and outlook for these species.

FAO FishCode STF/CECAF/COPACE Sub-regional Workshop on the Improvement of Fishery Data and Information Collection Systems for the Gulf of Guinea

Mon, 9 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting documents

Review of the state of world marine capture fisheries management: Pacific Ocean

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100
In order to help countries strengthen their fisheries management, the development of more detailed, systematic and comparable information on fisheries environments and management trends is needed. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 488/1, Review of the state of world marine capture fisheries management: Pacific Ocean, now available online, provides such information for 29 countries in the Pacific Ocean. The document includes trends in legal and administrative frameworks, management regimes and status of marine capture fisheries as an easy-to-read and informative reference for policy decision-makers, fishery managers and stakeholders.

This document is part of a suite of similar FAO reviews, including the alread-published Review of the state of world marine capture fisheries management: Indian Ocean and Review of the state of world marine fishery resources with forthcoming reviews of the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Análisis del estado actual de seguros en la acuicultura mundial

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100
FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, Review of the current state of world aquaculture insurance, is now available online in Spanish.

Guidelines for insurance in developing aquaculture in Asia

Thu, 29 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department have published Guidelines to meet insurance and other risk management needs in developing aquaculture in Asia, now available online. Aquaculture insurance is likely to be attractive to farmers whose aquaculture operations are their principal form of livelihood and where they have invested significant livelihood assets such as time, labour, infrastructure and funds. These guidelines attempt to devise practical ways of reconciling two widely differing aims – that of the insurance sector to make a profit, and that of governments, NGOs and donor organizations to provide altruistic compensation programmes to the less sophisticated and developing sectors of Asian aquaculture. Apart from the Guidelines this document also contains general information on aquaculture insurance, the role of Better Management Practices (BMPs) in aquaculture insurance as well the Report of the Regional Workshop on the Promotion of Aquaculture Insurance in Asia.

Fish passes - design, dimensions and monitoring

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Many fish species undertake more or less extended migrations as part of their basic behaviour. Fish passes are gaining importance as sensible devices for restoring free passage for fish in rivers as they are often the only way to ensure that aquatic fauna pass obstacles that block their up-river journey. FAO, in collaboration with the Deutscher Verband für Wasserwirtschaft und Kulturbau e.V. (DVWK), have published the DVWK guidelines in English that describe the ecological basics and general requirements in designing fish passes and also include technical recommendations and advice for comprehensive monitoring. Fish passes. Design, dimension and monitoring is now available online.

FIRMS Technical Working Group Meeting - 2nd Session

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - Lebanon Meeting Room (D-209)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome, Italy

Report

List of Hotels in Rome

Aquatic biodiversity in rice-based ecosystems

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100
A new video featuring the rich aquatic biodiversity found in rice-based ecosystems is now available online. Filmed in Laos, the 10-minute documentary shows the important role that aquatic animals - fish, frogs, snails, shrimp, and insects - found in rice paddies and associated wetlands play in the lives of millions of people -- as a source of protein, fatty acids and micronutrients in diets and for additional income. Only through responsible management of rice- and land-use can these vital resources remain plentiful and diverse for years to come. The video is part of a series of FAO publications on Aquatic Biodiversity in Rice-based Ecosystems and was produced by the Lao National Television Team with contributions from the FAO Interdepartmental Working Group on Biodiversity and funded by the FAO-Netherlands Partnership Programme. For comments or questions e-mail the editor matthias.halwart@fao.org

Also see Aquatic biodiversity in rice-based ecosystems CD-ROM

FAO fisheries publications available through Avano

Thu, 3 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100
FAO Fisheries publications are now being harvested by Avano, a marine and aquatic open archives initiative (OAI) harvester developed by IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea). Over 6 000 FAO fisheries and aquaculture publications are available in full text via Avano, together with more than 130 000 publications from more than 200 OAI repositories. The Aquatic Commons is one of the harvested repositories and is supported by the FAO FishCode programme to facilitate inclusion of fisheries publications from developing country institutions.

For further information, contact the FAO Fisheries Library at fi-library@fao.org

Pearl oyster health management

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department publication Pearl oyster health management: a manual is now available online. The pearl oyster industry is a growing multibillion dollar sector of molluscan aquaculture. As pearl production relies on the health of the oyster, this manual - which serves as a guide on the management of pearl oyster health - also includes an overview of the cultured marine pearl industry, a general review of mortalities and disease problems to help reduce risks from disease, and reports from countries (e.g. Australia, Cook Islands, Japan, French Polynesia, the Philippines, China) who have vast experience in the health management of cultured pearl oysters.

Lumpfish caviar – from vessel to consumer

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department publication Lumpfish caviar - from vessel to consumer is now available online. This technical paper presents a comprehensive overview of the production of lumpfish caviar as a model for fish caviar production. The source, lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus), is from the North Atlantic and can be used as a case study to develop similar products from other fish species, as was done with capelin caviar when it was created by lumpfish caviar producers in the 1990s. The document describes fishing methods, initial preservation by salting and storage of the salted eggs, as well as details on the caviar production process itself, where highly-salted eggs are de-salted and blended with other ingredients to obtain the final product, lumpfish caviar.

Tougher port controls to target illegal fishing in the Mediterranean

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Wide range of measures will deter IUU fishers

FAO and industry reps discuss emerging issues affecting seafood business

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Energy efficiency subject of second FAO-industry forum in Bremen.
FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture Department recently met with representatives of some of the leading companies in the seafood industry during a roundtable forum in Bremen, Germany aimed at improving information exchange and dialogue between the UN agency and the private sector.

GFCM - Committee on Compliance (CoC) - 2nd Session

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - Red Meeting Room (A 1st floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy

Registration form
Meeting documents | Website
List of Hotels in Rome

GFCM - General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - 32nd Session (FI-716-32)

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - Red Meeting Room (A 1st floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy

Registration form
Report | Meeting documents | Website
List of Hotels in Rome

Improved management of fishing's "last frontier" needed

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Countries discuss how to better protect deep sea species and habitats.
Fifty-three countries and the European Community have begun discussions on how to better protect fragile deep sea fish species and habitats from irresponsible fishing practices.

Culture-based fisheries in Bangladesh

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100
A new FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, Culture-based fisheries in Bangladesh - A socio-economic perspective, reviews and discusses the development of culture-based fisheries and community-based fisheries management in Bangladesh with regard to socio-economic impacts as well as environmental effects and biodiversity loss.

Technical Consultation on International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-Sea Fisheries in the High Seas

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Registration will open at 8:30am
the Consultation will begin at 9:30am

Alternative FAX number:
+39 06 570 53020 Atten. Dominique Gréboval

Meeting location:
FAO - Green Room (A-1st floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy
Meeting documents

Registration
English | Français | Español

Science and the challenge of managing small pelagic fisheries on shared stocks in northwest Africa

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100
The marine waters off northwest Africa, from Morocco in the north to the southern region of Senegal, are among the richest in the world. FAO, in partnership with the Moroccan Institut National de Recherche Halieutique and the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, are organizing a four-day symposium to address the issues on the challenges for managing the area's important small pelagic fisheries. The symposium will be held from 11-14 March 2008 in Casablanca, Morocco and will focus on four main themes:
Resources and exploitation: Biology and ecology of main resources and status of fisheries

Dynamics and variability of pelagic fish populations and environmental influences
Methods and models for assessing small pelagic fish stocks
Management of fisheries on shared resources
.

For more information visit the Symposium Web site.

Biggest and best tuna tend to have the most mercury, experts say

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Source: International Herald Tribune
Higher priced foods usually mean healthier options - but that may not be the case with tuna, new studies suggest.

Project puts youth in vanguard of post-tsunami redevelopment

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Building a sustainable future for coastal communities from the bottom up.
Youth from tsunami-affected fishing villages of four districts of the west coast in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) Province in Indonesia will be trained as "community motivators" (Motivator Masyarakat) to help promote sound management of the coastal fisheries upon which the province relies.

United Nations marks twenty-fifth anniversary of opening for signature of Law of Sea Convention

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Source: United Nations
This month marks twenty-five years since the opening for signature of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Cage aquaculture - regional reviews and global overview

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has recently published a technical paper "Cage aquaculture - regional reviews and global review" highlighting the tremendous importance of cage aquaculture today and its key role for the future growth of the aquaculture sector. The document includes all the papers presented during the FAO Special Session on Cage Aquaculture at the Asian Fisheries Society Second International Symposium on Cage Aquaculture in Asia in July 2006. Each review, by geographic region, includes information on the current situation, major regional issues and challenges. The global overview discusses trends in cage aquaculture, summarizes information on cultured species, culture systems and environments and explores the way forward for cage aquaculture, which offers especially promising options for multitrophic integration of current coastal aquaculture systems as well as expansion and further intensification at increasingly offshore sites.

Fisheries and aquaculture recovery three years after the Asian tsunami

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100
The Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004 killed nearly 300 000 people and devastated the livelihoods of millions more, many of them poor fishers and fish farmers. Indeed, fisheries and aquaculture were the hardest-hit sectors, with large numbers of boats, fishing gear, aquaculture ponds and support installations damaged or destroyed.

SWIOFC - Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) - 3rd Session

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Report

Notes for participants | Meeting documents

Workshop on inland fisheries and aquaculture in Central Asia: status and development prospects

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Report

CECAF - Scientific Sub-Committee - 5th Session (RAF-710-5)

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

MARGARITA LIZÁRRAGA MEDAL AWARD 2006-2007

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Ten years ago, the FAO Conference instituted the Margarita Lizárraga Medal to be awarded every two years to a person or organization that has served with distinction in the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Medal pays tribute to Ms Margarita Lizárraga, Senior Fishery Liaison Officer, for her decisive role in promoting the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) was selected as the recipient of the Award for the biennium 2006-2007. SEAFDEC, an intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, was established in 1967 with the mandate to promote fisheries development in Southeast Asia. SEAFDEC has served with distinction in the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and its achievement is an outstanding and practical hands-on contribution to the application of the Code.

Aquaculture only way to fill the coming "fish gap"

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100
19 November 2007, Rome - Top ministers debate the future of fish farming

. By 2030 an additional 37 million tonnes of fish per year will be needed to maintain current levels of fish consumption for an expanded world population. Because traditional capture fisheries have reached their maximum production levels, fish farming represents the only way to fill the gap. But it will only do so if it is promoted and managed in a responsible fashion.

High-Level Special Event The Role of Aquaculture in Sustainable Development

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Meeting location:
FAO - Green Room (A-1st floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy
Information on The Role of Aquaculture in Sustainable Development

Aquaculture gateway page

US wants freeze on tuna fishing

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Source: BBC News
The US is calling for a ban on the fishing of bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.
A three-to-five-years ban is being proposed to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Iccat).

Workshop on Data and Knowledge in Deep-Sea Fisheries in the High Seas

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - Ethiopia Room (C285/89 2nd floor)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy
Prospectus

IOTC - Scientific Committee (SAFR-734a)

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Website

CECAF - Demersal Species Working Group Meeting

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Technical Consultation: Guidelines for Responsible Fish Trade - (FI-822)

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting documents

Agenda of the Resumed Session of the Technical Consultation: Guidelines for Responsible Fish Trade, Bremen, Germany, Monday 2 June 2008 and Tuesday 3 June 2008 (evening)
English | Français | Español | Arabic

GFCM - Scientific Advisory Committee - 10th Session - (FI-720-10)

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Report | Meeting documents | Information for delegates | Webpage

Marine Protected Areas as a Tool for Fisheries Management - new Web site launched

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has launched a Web site to increase knowledge on the contribution of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to fisheries management. This Web site has been developed under a project aimed at supporting the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). One section of the site presents guidelines prepared by FAO on the design, implementation and testing of MPAs as a fisheries management tool.
Click here to open the MPAs web site.

Checklist of the parasites of fishes of Latvia

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100
As part of its focus on improving aquatic animal health and safety, the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has published the Checklist of the parasites of fishes of Latvia. Third in a series, this document summarizes information on the parasites of Latvia fishes presented in the form of parasite-host and hostparasite lists and includes 305 named species of parasites. Previous checklists have been published on Bangladesh, the Philippines and Viet Nam.

Improving Penaeus monodon hatchery practices

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Shrimp aquaculture is a valuable and growing production sector where success is largely based on the quality of postlarvae, making hatchery production a crucial element to the sector's sustainability. The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has published Improving Penaeus monodon hatchery practices, a manual based on experience in India. The information in this technical paper is useful in all regions where Penaeus monodon aquaculture is practised.

Models for an ecosystem approach to fisheries

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Understanding the interactions between fishery resources and the ecosystem is becoming more important in formulating sound fisheries management decisions. The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has just published a paper reviewing the models available for assessing the impacts of such interactions and their implications for fisheries management. Aimed at fisheries scientists and managers, Models for an ecosystem approach to fisheries provides an overview of the main types of modelling approaches and analyses their relative merits for fisheries assessment in an ecosystem context.

Workshop on the Practice of Harvesting Wild Fish/Fishery Resources for Aquaculture Production

Mon, 2 Jul 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Q&A: Fish counters wade through oceans of data

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100
FAO's collection of fisheries statistics, largest and oldest in the world, marks a milestone.
This month FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture Department marks a milestone with the publication of the 100th volume of its Global Fisheries Statistics Yearbook. The UN agency has been collecting and publishing data on fishing and fisheries for over 60 years, amassing a wealth of information that is simply not available elsewhere. In this Q&A interview, FAO chief of fisheries information and statistics Richard Grainger discusses this work and why it is important in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

Wanted: greener fish

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Market trends require stronger environmental performance by seafood industry

Credit and microfinance needs in inland capture fisheries development and conservation in Asia

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Recognizing the importance of microfinance as a crucial development tool for poverty reduction has increased during the last two decades, the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has published a technical paper on Credit and microfinance needs in inland capture fisheries development and conservation in Asia. This publication provides orientation, basic considerations and general principles for those institutions and organizations that provide credit and microfinance services to the fisheries sector, particularly the small-scale fisheries sector, and for those who want to include inland fishers and inland capture fisheries as part of their client base and lending operations.

World Seafood Congress 2007
Co-organized with UNIDO and WHO

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Information website

APFIC - Regional Workshop on Certification Schemes for Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture (RAP-901)

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Information

CECAF - Artisanal Fisheries Working Group Meeting

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100

The African Water Resource Database (inland fisheries and aquaculture)

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Committee on Inland Fisheries for Africa has published a two-part technical paper on GIS-based tools for inland aquatic resource management. The African Water Resource Database (AWRD) contains a set of data and custom-designed tools, combined in a geographic information system (GIS) analytical framework aimed at facilitating responsible inland aquatic resource management with a specific focus on inland fisheries and aquaculture. Part 1 describes concepts and the application of case studies while Part 2 (which includes 2 DVDs) is a technical manual and workbook.

Expert Consultation on International Guidelines for the Management of Deepwater High Seas Bottom Fisheries

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100
Prospectus

US$ 13.85 million to meet food needs of Peru earthquake victims

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100
US$ 13.85 million to meet food needs of Peru earthquake victims.
In the wake of the earthquake which devastated Peru’s Southern coastal region killing more than 500 people, destroying over 39 000 houses and leaving over twice this many people homeless, some US$13.85 million is needed to help feed and restore the farming and fishing based livelihoods of the affected population, FAO said today.

APFIC - Executive Committee - 71st Session

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Fishing capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean

Wed, 8 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100
In relation to the International Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity, a new publication featuring 11 case studies on fishing capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean is now available online from the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (only in Spanish).

GFCM - Scientific Advisory Committee - Sub-Committee on Economic and Social Sciences (SCESS) - Workshop on the use of socio-economic indicators in the Mediterranean fisheries management

Mon, 3 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Report
Information | Registration | Invitation
Agenda

International Symposium on Genetic Impacts from Aquaculture: Meeting the Challenge in Europe
(Organized by Institute of Marine Research under the GENIMPACT component of the EU sixth Framework Programme)

Mon, 28 May 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Symposium information | Website

FAO FishCode STF – CECAF Sub-regional Workshop on the Improvement of Fishery Data and Information Collection Systems for the West Central Gulf of Guinea region

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100

FAO Workshop on Vulnerable Ecosystems and Destructive Fishing in deep-sea fisheries

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - Queen Juliana (B324)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy

FAO helping countries fight illegal fishing in Indian Ocean

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Mauritius workshop focuses on strengthening controls in ports.
A group of 50 participants from 13 countries in the Indian Ocean region are strategizing on how to toughen up controls in coastal ports in order to better combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing during an FAO-run workshop starting today in Mauritius (21-22 June). The workshop comes on the heels of a three day international symposium on IUU fishing (18-20 June) organized by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in partnership with FAO, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC).

New FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has prepared new guidelines for responsible fisheries on aquaculture development - health management for responsible movement of live aquatic animals which are now available online. The objective of these guidelines is to assist countries in reducing the risk of introduction and spread of serious transboundary aquatic animal diseases.

Strengthening Port State Measures in the Indian Ocean

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100

The Key to improving fisheries management and combating IUU fishing.

International Symposium, 18-20 June 2007
Workshop for Developing Countries, 21-22 June 2007
Labourdonnais Hotel
Port Louis, Mauritius

OPENING STATEMENT
Mr. Ichiro Nomura
Assistant Director-General
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Rome, Italy

Installation and operation of a modular bivalve hatchery

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100
An FAO manual on installing and operating a bivalve hatchery is now available online. Produced by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, the document provides information on broodstock conditioning, algal culture, hatchery, nursery, grow-out and economic considerations when setting up a hatchery. Based on years of experience, the model is easily adaptable to any region. This manual includes downloadable detailed technical drawings on hatchery designs.

The next frontier in genetic research: under water

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Countries to discuss managing the world's aquatic genetic resources

Pioneering UN atlas of oceans turns five

Thu, 7 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Expert-run website the definitive source for information on world oceans

FAO panel supports trade restrictions to protect sawfish and eels

Thu, 31 May 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Recommendations made to UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
A panel of experts convened by FAO has supported proposals submitted to the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to add sawfish and the European eel to a list of animal species subject to trade restrictions in order to protect stocks in the wild. The FAO panel was convened as part of a process established by FAO and CITES to provide the Convention with expert advice from fisheries scientists on aquatic species being considered for trade restrictions. (See story linked to right.)

Global Trade Conference on Aquaculture
Co-organized with FISHINFO Network

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100

News
Proceeding No.9

Fish feed scare highlights challenges of aquaculture boom

Mon, 28 May 2007 12:00:00 +0100
FAO conference eyeballs the future of the 'blue revolution' - safety issues in spotlight.
The recent discovery that feed used on some U.S. fish farms contained the toxin melamine highlights the challenges facing the booming aquaculture sector, which today supplies some 44% of all fish consumed worldwide, according to FAO. Melamine is the same substance linked to the recent pet food recall in the United States and Canada. The convoluted way in which it ended up being fed to fish destined for human consumption underscores the difficulties involved in ensuring product safety in today's era of transnational fish production, processing and distribution networks: feed made with tainted wheat gluten produced in China was exported by a U.S. firm and sold to at least two Canadian suppliers, which in turn exported it to fish farms in the United States.

GFCM - Scientific Advisory Committee - Transversal Workshop on Marine Protected Areas (MAPs)

Mon, 3 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Information | Registration | Agenda
Data Collection Form
Report

GFCM - Scientific Advisory Committee - Transversal Workshop on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF)

Mon, 3 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Information | Registration | Agenda
Report

EIFAC - European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission - Executive Committee (Preparation for EIFAC Twenty-fifth Session) - (FI-827)

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Meeting location:
FAO - India Meeting Room (A327)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome Italy

Report

Global Gateway to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing and Mapping for Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries Web site launched

Tue, 22 May 2007 12:00:00 +0100
GISFish, a new Web site focusing on the use of GIS, remote sensing and mapping to improve the sustainability of aquaculture and inland fisheries is now available. GISFish is aimed at GIS practitioners and fisheries and aquaculture professionals in developing countries. Information is accessed through searchable databases of applications published in the mainstream and gray literature. These include case studies, abstracts, downloadable publications. The site offers online discussions, postings of on-going projects, training opportunities, data sources, tools and freeware, and news and events.

GIS, remote sensing and mapping

Tue, 15 May 2007 12:00:00 +0100
A new publication illustrating the ways in which Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing and mapping can play a role in the development and management of marine aquaculture is now available online.

IOTC - Indian Ocean Tuna Commission - 11th Session (FI-733-11)

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100
Meeting location:
Grand Baie Conference Centre,
Grand Baie,
Mauritius
Website

American Red Cross and FAO team up to restore fisheries and aquaculture in tsunami-affected communities

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:00:00 +0100
The American Red Cross and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have announced the launch of a new partnership to support the recovery of fishing communities in Indonesia's Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province affected by the 2004 tsunami.

FAO News and Events RSS Feed

Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) - Advisory Board Meeting

COFI - Sub-Committee on Aquaculture - 5th Session (FI-702-5)

Global Conference on Aquaculture (co-organized by FAO)

COFI - Sub-Committee on Fish Trade - 12th Session - (FI-709-12)

GFCM - General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - 34th Session

GFCM - Committee on Compliance (CoC) - 4th Session

GFCM - Committee on Administration and Finance (CAF) - 1st Session

CECAF - Scientific Sub-Committee - 6th Session (RAF-710-6)

IOTC - Indian Ocean Tuna Commission - 14th Session (FI-733-14)

GFCM - Scientific Advisory Committee - 12th Session

IOTC - Scientific Committee - 12th Session (FI-734-a12)

D4Science World User Meeting

Groundbreaking treaty on illegal fishing approved

SWIOFC - Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) - Scientific Commission 4th Session

1st D4Science World User meeting

MARGARITA LIZÁRRAGA MEDAL AWARD 2008-2009

New fisheries commission for Central Asia and the Caucasus

RECOFI - Third meeting of the Working Group on Fisheries Management (WG-FM)

RECOFI - Third Meeting of the Working Group on Fisheries Management

Healthy oceans new key to combating climate change

APFIC - Regional Consultative Workshop on Best Practices for Supporting and Improving Livelihoods of Small-scale Fisheries and Aquaculture Households

Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010 - Farming the Waters for People and Food

Proceedings of the FAO-OECD round table on ecolabelling and certification in the fisheries sector

APFIC - Executive Committee - 72nd Session

Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) - Advisory Board Meeting

COPESCAL - Commission for Inland Fisheries of Latin America - 11th Session (RLC-758-11)

New treaty will leave fish pirates without safe haven

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department receives 'Special Achievement in GIS' Award

Technical Consultation to draft a legally-binding instrument on port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (FI-807-3) (Third resumed session)

Margarita Lizárraga Medal

Opportunities for inland fisheries in Central Asia

The state of world capture fisheries insurance

Zambezi hit by killer fish disease

Extending responsible fisheries management to the ocean deeps

Climate change talks mustn't forget fisheries

Fisheries and aquaculture in a changing climate

APFIC - Regional Workshop on Practical Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries and Aquaculture in the APFIC Region

Finland gives 1.76 million euro for FAO fishery programme in Kyrgyzstan

RECOFI - Regional Commission for Fisheries - 5th Session - (RNE-739-5)

Ghost nets hurting marine environment

Technical Consultation to draft a legally-binding instrument on port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (FI-807) (Second resumed session)

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Web site survey

Round Table on Ecolabelling and Certification in the Fisheries Sector: Co -organised by FAO, OECD and the Government of The Netherlands

The trouble with sea cucumbers

IOTC - Indian Ocean Tuna Commission - 13th Session (FI-733-13)

FAO yearbook: Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics now available

Strategy and Outline Plan for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture

GFCM - Committee on Compliance (CoC) - 3rd Session

FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the risks and benefits of fish consumption : call for experts and information & data

GFCM - General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - 33rd Session (FI-716-33)

Regional Fishery Body Secretariats Network addresses United Nations body

Regional Aquaculture Information System (RAIS) online

Second Meeting of Regional Fishery Body Secretariats Network - (RSN-2) (FI-609-2)

EAF-Nansen Web site online

Brazil signs on to high seas fishing agreement

World fisheries must prepare for climate change

COFI - Committee on Fisheries - 28th Session - (FI-701-28)

Shrimp fisheries under scrutiny

Understanding and applying risk analysis in aquaculture

Planned treaty will close ports to fish pirates

RECOFI - Working Group on Aquaculture (WGA) - 4th meeting

Technical Consultation to draft a legally-binding instrument on port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (FI-807) (resumed session)

RECOFI - Working Group on Aquaculture (WGA) - Regional technical workshop on sustainable marine cage aquaculture development

test photo 2

Global study of shrimp fisheries

Building an ecosystem approach to aquaculture

Sea cucumbers - A global review of fisheries and trade

Rehabilitation of inland waters for fisheries

GFCM - Committee on Aquaculture - 6th Session

GFCM - Committee on Aquaculture - 10th SIPAM Annual Meeting

CIFAA - Committee for Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture of Africa - 15th Session (RAF-745-15)

Managing fishing capacity

GFCM - Scientific Advisory Committee - 11th Session

Margarita Lizárraga Medal Award 2008-2009

Informal open-ended Technical Meeting to Review the Annexes of the Draft Legally-Binding Instrument on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing

African Water Resource Database (AWRD) available on DVD and CD-ROM

Fisheries management: status and challenges -- by Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Monitoring and managing queen conch fisheries

Regional Intergovernmental meeting to Initiate the Establishment of a Central Asian Regional Fisheries Organization

Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010 -
Farming the Waters for People and Food

Global Conference on Small-Scale Fisheries
(Co-organised with Thai Department of Fisheries)

Is the aquaculture boom starting to fade?
New questions on the future of fish farming