Origin
Established by the Director-General on the basis of Resolution 1/117 adopted by the Council at its Hundred and Seventeenth Session (1999).
RECOFI in effect replaces in terms of geographical area the former Committee for the Development & management of the Fisheries Resources of the Gulfs, a subsidiary body of the Indian Ocean Fishery Commission (IOFC). The Gulfs Committee was abolished by IOFC at its Eleventh Session in February 1999. IOFC was itself abolished by Resolution 116/1 of the council in June 1999.
Purpose
To promote the development, conservation, rational management and best utilization of living marine resources, as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the area covered by the Commission. To this end, the Commission will keep under review the state of these resources including abundance and the level of their exploitation, as well as the state of the fisheries based there, formulate and recommend appropriate measures for the conservation and rational management of living marine resources, and ensure the implementation of these recommendations, keep under review the economic and social aspects of the fishing industry and recommend any measures aimed at its development; encourage, recommend coordinate and, as appropriate, undertake research and development activities including cooperative projects in the area of fisheries and in the protection of living marine resources; assemble, publish and disseminate information regarding exploitable living marine resources and fisheries based on these resources; promote  programs on aquaculture and fish enhancement, and carry out such other activities as may be necessary to achieve these purposes.
Membership
Open to all Members and Associate Members of FAO that are coastal Members or Associate Members situated mainly or partly within the area; Member Nations or Associate Members whose vessels are engaged in fishing in the area and regional economic integration organization of which any Member Nation referred to above is a Member to which that Member Nation has transferred competence over matters within the purview of the Agreement establishing this Commission.
Present Country Members
Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab.
Country Members Contributions
Each Country Member’s yearly share of contribution is $ 5000. (Five Thousand US Dollars)
Observers
GCC Secretaries, ROPME, World Fish Center (ICLARM), AOAD, AFFP, KISR, BCSR, King Abdel Aziz University.
Working Languages
Arabic & English
Rules Of Procedures
Approved under Article II.7 of the Constituent Agreement Of  RECOFI.
Subsidiary Bodies
The Commission established two ad-hoc work groups. One on fisheries statistics and one on aquaculture Work groups establish
WGA  1st Meeting     18-20 April 2004 – Manama / Kingdom of Bahrain WGF  1st Meeting     23-25 May 2004 – Shiraz/Islamic Republic of Iran
Recommendations/Achievements 1st Session Establishment of two Ad-Hoc Working Groups on aquaculture and stock assessment and Fisheries Statistics and meet in Oman by May 2002 Annual meetings to be held during the first two weeks of May, starting from 2003 in member Countries according to alphabetical order (subject to the deposit on an instrument of acceptance with the Director General of FAO by Countries which have not yet done so. Develop partnership arrangements and liaison with other organizations. Observe status of RECOFI in other regional fisheries bodies Reaffirm the commitment of each member to make an annual contribution of US$ 5000 into the core budget of RECOFI. Facilitate participation of some members to the sessions/meetings of regional fisheries bodies such as ICES and IOTC to contribute in improving the working performance within the commission.   2nd Session Establishment of two working groups for Fisheries Statistics and Aquaculture, Countries to advise focal points for the preparation of the related technical meetings before the end on 2003 FAO Statistics Dept. to work with the commission’s member countries to increase the level of taxonomic desegregation of reported landings that are reported in the FAO Nominal catch database and to report to the next RECOFI meeting on the progress made with these efforts. FAO statistics Dept. be asked to maintain data reported by RECOFI countries disaggregated into the statistical sub-regional areas. Progress of this request is to be reported in the next RECOFI session. The working documents with recommendations on the form and structure of the aquaculture body and the proposed work program for 2003-2004 was prepared and submitted to the Commission for consideration and approval. Marine surveys should be considered as part of normal fisheries management programs and therefore funded as part of annual fisheries activities. There was a general agreement as to the need for regular demersal surveys in the RECOFI area as part of normal fisheries management practices. Holding a VMS workshop to communicate developments in MCS and VMS Set up a regional database for consideration by the working group on statistics Importance to publicize the activities of the commission through all possible media channels from Countries and from the secretariat. RECOFI Welcomed the participation of Iraq in its activities and that the Secretariat should ensure that Iraq become active in RECOFI in the future as soon as is practical.
Secretariat
The RECOFI General Secretary is: Mr. Piero Mannini Senior Regional Fisheries Officer Food and Agriculture Organization Regional Office for the Near East (RNE) 11, Al Eslah El Zerai Street, Dokki,  Egypt P. O. Box 2223, Cairo – Egypt Telephone: (0202) 33316000 Ext 2818 Fax: (0202) 3349 5981 E-Mail: Piero.Mannini@fao.org

RECOFI Sessions	Place	Documents	Report
1st RECOFI Session 2001	Muscat, Oman (6 - 8 Oct)	-
2nd RECOFI Session 2003	Muscat, Oman (18 - 21 May)	-
3rd RECOFI Session 2005	Doha, Qatar (9 - 11 May)
4th RECOFI Session 2007	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (7 - 9 May)
5th RECOFI Session 2009	Dubai, Emirates (12 - 14 May)		-