Responsible Fishing Practices for Sustainable Fisheries

Unsustainable fishing practices put at risk the long-term viability of fisheries and livelihoods of fishers and fishing communities, which depend upon them. Over the last few years, FAO has developed several policy instruments which, alongside an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, aim to address unsustainable and harmful fishing practices. FAO’s work on the reduction of impacts of fishing operations facilitates improved sustainable fishing practices and reduced impacts of fishing operations on ecosystems within the context of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. FAO’s work supports States, and especially developing countries including Small Island Developing States (SIDS), by providing assistance to implement measures, and strengthen institutional capacity to address environmental and socio-economic impacts of fishing operations, based on guidance provided by FAO instruments such as the International Guidelines on the Management of Bycatch and the Reduction of Discards (2011), the Voluntary Guidelines for the Marking of Fishing Gear (2018), and the Technical Guidelines to Prevent and Reduce Bycatch of Marine Mammals in Capture Fisheries (2021). 

In depth

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The 2023 annual meeting of the ICES-FAO Working Group on Fishing Technology and Fish Behaviour (WGFTFB) and the International Symposium on “Innovations in Fishing Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Fisheries” [...]
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This document is a report on the technical aspects and current examples of fishing gear recycling as an option for end-of-life fishing gear waste management and pollution control. The report [...]
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The GloLitter Partnerships project (GloLitter), funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization [...]

Did you know?

  • In 2018, total capture fisheries production had increased to 96.4 million tonnes.
  • The top seven capture producers (China, Indonesia, Peru, India, the Russian Federation, the United States of America and Viet Nam) account for 50 percent of total global capture production.
  • In 2018, the global total of fishing vessels of all sizes was 4.56 million. Asia has the largest fleet with 68 percent of the global total.
  • It is currently estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic is lost or discarded in our ocean every year. FAO is working closely with independent scientific experts to accurately estimate the contribution from the fisheries sector.