Kyoto Conference Outcome & Papers Presented

Kyoto Declaration

DECLARE that we should, without prejudice to the rights and obligations of States under international law:

1. Recognize and appreciate the significant role which marine fisheries, inland fisheries and aquaculture play in providing food security for the world, both through food supplies and through economic and social well-being;

2. Recognize and appreciate the important economic and social role of subsistence, artisanal and commercial fishers and other fishers throughout the world, and seek to provide an environment in which they can make an optimum contribution to economic and social welfare;

3. Recognize that FAO projects a potential substantial shortfall by 2010 of the supply of fish and fishery products to meet demands from an increased human population, which in turn will adversely affect world food security;

4. Recognize that the projected shortfall of supply of fish and fishery products by 2010 can substantially be reduced and the marine and inland waters maintained as a sustainable source of renewable food resources, if a combination of measures, set forth below, are taken;

5. Take steps for effective application of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and consider becoming parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks and the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas, and enact, correspondingly, appropriate domestic legislation and regulations in a timely manner;

6. Call for an increase in the respect and understanding of social, economic and cultural differences among States and regions in the use of living aquatic resources, especially cultural diversity in dietary habits, consistent with management objectives;

7. Undertake in-depth studies to assess the social, economic and cultural importance of fisheries and fishery products;

8. Promote and strengthen scientific research as the fundamental basis for sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture activities to ensure food security, as well as provide scientific and technical cooperation and support for those countries with lesser research capabilities;

9. Base policies, strategies and resource management and utilization for sustainable development of the fisheries sector on the following: (i) maintenance of ecological systems; (ii) use of the best scientific evidence available; (iii) improvement in economic and social well-being; and (iv) inter- and intra-generational equity;

10. Apply the precautionary approach as referred to in the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the United Nations Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks;

11. Assess the stock productivity in the waters under national jurisdiction, both inland and marine, adjust the fishing capacity in these waters to a level commensurate with long-term stock productivity and take appropriate measures as soon as possible to restore overexploited stocks to sustainable levels; and cooperate in accordance with international law to take similar measures regarding stocks occurring in the high seas;

12. Conserve and sustainably use biological diversity and its components in the aquatic environment and, in particular, prevent practices leading to irreversible changes, such as extinction of genes and species, genetic erosion and/or large-scale destruction of habitats;

13. Study the effectiveness of multispecies management;

14. When and where appropriate, consider harvesting a multiple trophic levels in a manner consistent with sustainable development of these resources;

15. Promote fisheries through research and development aiming at: (i) optimum use of unexploited or underexploited resources; (ii) identification of new, harvestable, aquatic resources; (iii) reduction of discard mortality; (iv) development and use of selective, environmentally safe and cost-effective fishing gear and techniques;

16. Increase the available supply of fish and fishery products for human consumption, nationally and internationally, through: (i) making optimum use of harvests and reducing post-harvest losses; (ii) developing, improving and sharing appropriate storage, processing and distribution technology; and (iii) developing and promoting effective systems ensuring the safety of food of aquatic origin, including harmonization of international regulations;

17. Support enhancement of fisheries in coastal marine and inland waters, when and where appropriate, by: (i) assisting in stocking of resources and restocking of depleted resources through providing suitable organisms; (ii) assisting fishers to organize themselves; (iii) promoting the use of integrated community based and/or co-management schemes; and (iv) subject to national priorities, establishing access or user rights in waters exploited under open access regimes;

18. Promote the use of sustainable and environmentally sound aquaculture and ranching in coastal marine and inland waters through, inter alia: (i) establishment of appropriate institutional and legal frameworks; (ii) coordination of the use of lands and waters with other activities; (iii) use of the best and most appropriate genetic material in conformity with the conservation and sustainable use of the environment and conservation of biological diversity; and (iv) application of social and environmental impact assessments;

19. Study the means for responsible post-harvest use of fish and fishery products, compatible with the policies for the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture;

20. Ensure that trade in fish and fishery products promotes food security, does not result in environmental degradation or adversely impact the nutritional rights and needs of people for whom fish and fishery products are critical to their health and well-being, does not undermine applicable global, regional and subregional conservation and management measures and is conducted in accordance with the principles, rights and obligations established in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement;

21. Enhance public awareness of the nutritional and health values of fish and fishery products;

22. Provide, either directly or through regional, subregional or international organizations, technical and financial assistance to developing countries, in particular LIFDCs and small island developing States, in order to assist them to realize the sustainable contribution of fisheries to food security and social and economic development;