This is the final version of the report approved by the third session of the Scientific Advisory Group of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission held in Bridgetown, Barbados, from 25 to 27 April 2005. This report was prepared by the FAO Subregional Office for the Caribbean.
Distribution:
Participants to the Session
Members of the
Commission
Other national and international organizations interested
FAO
Fisheries Department
Fishery Officers in the FAO Regional Offices
FAO
Representatives in WECAFC member countries
1. The Third Session of the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) was held at the FAO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, United Nations House, Bridgetown, Barbados, from 25 to 27 April 2005. The list of the members of SAG and observers who attended the meeting is attached as Appendix B. The members of the SAG, appointed in 1999, continue to serve in their personal capacities.
2. On behalf of the Director-General of FAO, the Secretary of
WECAFC,
Mr Bisessar Chakalall, welcomed the members of SAG to the third
meeting of the Group and expressed FAO's appreciation for the valuable service
they were providing to the WECAF Commission as fisheries experts from the
region.
3. He pointed out that the main agenda item of the meeting, the Strengthening of WECAFC, was identified by the Eleventh Session of the Commission, 21-24 October 2003, Grenada, and SAG was requested to make its contribution in this regard. The Secretary noted that SAG has been given the opportunity to assist in charting a course of actions for achieving sustainable fisheries in the WECAFC region.
4. In considering this agenda item, the Secretary of the Commission observed that the WECAF Commission provided the countries of the Wider Caribbean with an inclusive forum for regional cooperation in fisheries management and conservation in the region. The important role of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and the increasing responsibilities being given to them by the global community in the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries should also be considered when addressing this agenda item.
5. As background information it was recalled that the Ninth Session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), Saint Lucia, September 1999, had agreed that WECAFC has the mandate and the institutional and technical potential to be a unique framework to facilitate and support member countries in pursuing sustainable fisheries in the region. The Commission agreed to have a simple structure, consisting of the Secretariat, a Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), which will act as an advisory body to the Commission and ad hoc Working Groups, with clearly defined terms of reference and time bound clauses, established as and when required. The First Session of SAG was held at the FAO Office in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from 2 to 5 April 2001. The Second Session of SAG was held at the IFREMER's (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) Office in Le Robert, Martinique, 28-30 April 2003.
6. The Meeting elected Mr David Die as the Chairperson.
7. The meeting approved the Agenda given in Appendix A. The documents that were presented and made available to the meeting are listed in Appendix C.
8. The SAG members reported on the following activities that they participated in during the intersessional period.
COASTFISH Conference
9. COASTFISH, a conference dealing with assessment and management of small-scale fisheries, was organized by five Mexican universities and held at CINVESTAV, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, 4-8 October 2004. There were 135 participants from North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and South America. The main objective of the Conference was to enhance the knowledge and understanding of coastal fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean and the promotion of interactions among scientists and managers in the region. As a result, country reports, proceedings of workshops, and scientific papers, all dealing with different dimensions of assessment and management approaches of artisanal fisheries, were being edited for publication.
WW2BW
10. The White Water to Blue Water[1] (WW2BW) international meeting held in Miami, 22-26 March 2004, brought scientists, administrators and donors together to develop new initiatives and partnerships that can potentially have a positive impact on the fisheries resources in the WECAFC region. The agenda of the Conference focused on four overlapping areas: integrated watershed management, marine ecosystem-based management, sustainable tourism and environmentally sound marine transportation. Participants from many WECAFC member countries attended and supported various initiatives. Some members of the SAG attended the meeting. At the meeting the University of the West Indies (UWI) launched the Coastal Management Research Network (COMARE Net) that provides another forum for information exchange and the integration of fisheries into coastal management.
11. The WW2BW breakout session on Fisheries Governance endorsed the recommendation of the Eleventh Session of WECAFC, October 2003, for the establishment of an intersessional working group to study the feasibility of strengthening regional fisheries management. The breakout session recommended that there be collaboration between the PDF-B project development process of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME) Project and the activities of the WECAFC intersessional working group to explore the strengthening of WECAFC in determining the most appropriate framework or arrangement for fisheries management in the Wider Caribbean region.
ICCAT
12. Regional scientists have continued to participate in the ICCAT working group and SCRS (Scientific Committee of Research and Statistics) meetings, where much work was done on resources that in part occupy the WECAFC region. Particularly important was the increased involvement at these meetings of some countries of the region. ICCAT has also continued to increase their focus on resources of special interest to the WECAFC countries such as sharks and billfishes. Also new assessments have been recently carried out on yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna.
GCFI
13. Some SAG members attended the Fifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh GCFI (Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute) meetings, a gathering of fishery scientists of the region. It was mentioned that proceedings of GCFI meetings were probably underused by fishery managers as a resource for scientific information.
14. A group of interested persons, which included a member of SAG and the Project Manager of the Caribbean Marine Large Ecosystem (CLME) Project, met informally during the Fifty-seventh GCFI and discussed the strengthening of WECAFC. The group suggested collaboration between the PDF-B project development process of the CLME Project and the activities of the intersessional working group as recommended by WECAFC at its Eleventh Session, October 2003, Grenada.
FIGIS
15. Since July 2002, some SAG members have been collaborating with FIGIS (Fisheries Global Information System) in the FAO Fisheries Department and in 2003, started to contribute time towards helping FAO to incorporate information on FAO Fishing Area 31 into the FIGIS system. Fisheries and Marine Resources inventories were prepared for the Greater Antilles in early 2004. Similar inventories were done for the Lesser Antilles, in draft, in March 2005. These two inventories will be integrated and would reflect the fact that the majority of the species considered are shared resources (at least at some level, for example, larval dispersal or highly migratory adult stocks) and to be properly established under the hierarchy of parent identifiers required by FIGIS.
Caribbean Spiny Lobster Biology and Fishery Monitoring Training Course
16. As part of the commitment of Cuba to provide technical assistance to member countries of the WECAFC ad hoc Working Group on Caribbean Spiny Lobster, a practical and theoretical course on Spiny Lobster biology and fishery monitoring was conducted in June 2004 with participants from Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cuba. There were plans for repeating this course every two years, which will be open to all countries in the WECAFC region.
17. SAG suggested that there may be advantages in strengthening the relationship of this activity with the WECAFC ad hoc working group. If Cuba was supportive of this suggestion, the Government of Cuba could contact the Secretary of WECAFC on how best to strengthen the relationship.
University of the West Indies (UWI) Outreach Program
18. One SAG member has provided training in socio-economic monitoring, the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and co-management through the UWI Outreach Programme. The training was delivered in several WECAFC Member States in the context of integrating fisheries into coastal area management as promoted by the Code.
Aging of Billfish and Dolphinfish Fishery Dynamics
19. At the University of Miami new projects on growth and aging of billfish and on dolphin-fish fishery dynamics have started with the collection of samples from several countries of the region including Venezuela, Barbados, Puerto Rico, United States of America and France (Martinique). The University will be expanding this collection to other WECAFC countries.
Strengthening Fisheries Research Institutions
20. It was also reported by one SAG member that in 2004 the Government of Mexico requested FAO to conduct an evaluation of the National Institute of Fisheries, aimed at providing recommendations for strengthening its research and advisory functions for responsible fisheries management of domestic and shared fish resources and for sustainable development of aquaculture. The report of the evaluation should be presented to the Mexican Government in June 2005. The approaches and methods used to conduct this evaluation could be of interest to WECAFC members.
US Ocean Policy
21. One SAG member reported that in the US there has been a focus on ocean issues over the last two years, including fishery resources, as a result of the release of two reports, one from the Pew Foundation and the other from the US Oceans Commission. These reports have focused the attention of government, stakeholders and the public on the status of fishery resources and the need for improvements in the performance of fishery management, including the need to increase investment on science in support of management. Part of this focus has concentrated on marine resources within the WECAF area, especially those that were considered to require most attention, such as those associated with reef ecosystems[2].
FIINPESCA Project
22. Recently a project entitled, "Strengthening of Interdisciplinary Fisheries Research for Responsible Fisheries in Central American countries (FIINPESCA)" was approved for funding by Sweden. The project will be executed by FAO in partnership with OSPESCA (Organization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in the Central American Isthmus) and its member countries (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama). The project activities will focus on research in shrimp and coastal, demersal fish resources and will aim at the establishment, on a permanent basis, of a regional interdisciplinary working group to deal with resource evaluation and economic and social aspects of these fisheries. The project, which will have duration of 38 months, should be initiated shortly.
LAPE Project
23. The FAO/Government of Japan project entitled, "Scientific Basis For Ecosystem-based Management in the Lesser Antilles including Interactions with Marine Mammals and Other Top Predators", is also referred to as the Lesser Antilles Pelagic Ecosystem (LAPE) project. It has been operational for over a year now and involves the OECS countries, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. The project was designed to provide the scientific information base for introducing an ecosystem approach to fisheries management, and included three major phases. The first, the data collection and generation phase, has been the primary focus to this point. Activities in this area included three complementary themes: fisheries data (detailed catch and effort), predator-prey relations (diet studies), and stock distribution and abundance (cetacean and fish surveys). Some of the activities in each theme area have started and the rest will be started during this year. The second phase is data synthesis and modelling. This has also been started with preliminary ecosystem models and the compilation of GIS base layer data. The models will be updated as additional results from the data collection and generation phase are provided. The final phase, starting in about two years, is the interpretation of the scientific results to address ecosystem-issues in fisheries management. These results of the project will be provided as draft ecosystem-based fisheries management plans.
The Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME) project
24. The regional project coordinator, Robin Mahon was invited to present to the SAG meeting a summary of the development of this project. The 18-month PDF-B stage of this project should start implementation in August 2005. The project was being designed in quite a different way than other previous Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) projects in that it will focus on institutional and legal issues related to the management and governance of transboundary resources. These included many of the fishery resources of interest to WECAFC. It will address coral reefs and protected species that were also of direct relevance and interest to WECAFC under the ecosystem context. The project seeks to have an impact mainly on the management processes and on governance but also should facilitate scientific work in the WECAFC area. The current PDF-B stage of the project seeks project funding in the order of US$9 million over two five-year periods, to start after the completion of the PDF-B.
25. The steering committee of the CLME project will have representation from all countries of the Caribbean LME region, FAO and other regional organizations. One of the first tasks to be conducted by the PDF-B stage of the CLME project will be to conduct a transboundary diagnostic analysis. Other work of the PDF-B stage will be conducted by project task groups that will provide the steering committee with the required materials to design the full LME project.
26. The participation of members of SAG in these diverse activities allowed the SAG to have a firsthand overview of the trends, challenges and constraints of fisheries-related initiatives in the WECAFC area. Members noted that many of the activities reported upon were interrelated even if not explicitly coordinated or structured to maximize opportunities for cooperation. The Commission, working groups and Member States of WECAFC were urged to integrate activities where feasible, and to ensure that the contributions of marine and fisheries science to decision-making were comprehensive and interdisciplinary.
27. The Secretariat introduced WECAFC/SAG/05/III/Inf.1 which contained the main recommendations of the Eleventh Session of the WECAFC which was held in Grenada in October 2004. The Secretariat pointed out that most of the recommendations directed to FAO were addressed. These included suggestions for improving the reporting on the status of fisheries and on the situation and trends of fisheries and aquaculture. Regarding subsidies, SAG was informed that the Twenty-sixth Session of COFI has adopted a short- and long-term programme of work that includes the role of subsidies in small-scale fisheries and artisanal fisheries in relation to other policy instruments. A regional workshop was held to build capacity to develop national plans of action to prevent deter and eliminate IUU fishing and two regional workshops were held on VMS. The Secretariat reported that FAO has produced a draft simplified version of the guidelines to the ecosystem approach to fisheries.
28. With respect to the convening of a consultation on the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and poverty alleviation, the Secretariat was unable to mobilize funds to support this activity, to date. No national workshops were held to specifically promote the utilization of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries since no request were received from member countries. However, other organizations such as the UWI Outreach Programme, in the WECAFC region have assisted in promoting the code at the local and national levels.
Regional Workshop on Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS)
29. The use of VMS as an integral part of fisheries management was on the Agenda of the Eleventh Session of WECAFC, Grenada, October 2004, and the Commission recommended the holding of a workshop to address in more detail the technical and economic issues related to the use of VMS. Two workshops, one for the English-speaking members and one for the Spanish-speaking members of WECAFC were held in Trinidad and Tobago and Panama in July and August 2004, respectively. The main objectives of the workshops were to sensitize countries on the need and potential for cooperation on VMS; create awareness of the potential benefits of VMS, beyond the use in MCS (e.g marine safety, statistics, fisheries management); and inform countries on current developments with regard to electronic logbooks and satellite surveillance.
Regional Workshop on the Elaboration of National Plans of Action (NPOA) to prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing
30. At the Twenty-fifth Session of COFI, February 2003, many member countries appealed to FAO to continue to provide technical assistance to facilitate the implementation, especially the development of national plants to implement the IPOA-IUU. Based on this appeal a regional workshop was held in Trinidad and Tobago, 12 to 16 November 2004, with the objective of developing national capacity so that countries would be better placed to elaborate NPOAs to combat IUU fishing and, as a result, meet the requirements of the IPOA. Participants were from the English-speaking Caribbean countries, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Suriname.
Formulation of NPOAs in Central America
31. In December 2004 Central American countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize and Guatemala) initiated a technical activity to formulate the National Plans of Action (NPOA-Capacity, NPOA-Sharks, NPOA-IUU fishing, NPOA-Seabirds) with the technical and financial assistance of FAO in partnership with OSPESCA. The first phase of the programme has been accomplished with the organization of three workshops that evaluated the situation in each country and prepared national work programmes concerning each NPOA. The second phase, which will start soon, included visits of international experts to each member country to provide technical guidance and advice in the formulation of each NPOA. The third phase will consist of subregional workshops to harmonise relevant aspects of each NPOA.
Ad hoc Working Groups
FAD Working Group
32. During the intersessional period, a meeting of the Ad hoc Working Group on Sustainable Development of Moored Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Fishing in the Lesser Antilles took place in Guadeloupe, 5-10 July 2004. The examination of the construction, deployment and the management systems of moored FADs highlighted potential impacts which may be significant. The estimation of the aggregated moored FAD biomass, done by IFREMER, indicated that the large predators, such as marlin, which constituted the most significant part of the catch, only represents one per cent of the aggregation. Ninety-five per cent of the pelagic fish aggregation was made up of subsurface tuna and predominantly, adult blackfin tunas which were only lightly exploited.
33. In order to accelerate the process of knowledge acquisition and to involve fisheries managers in a responsible, supervisory process for this emerging fishery, it was proposed that a multidisciplinary programme be carried out in the islands where moored FADs were being used. This should lead to the development of an evaluation tool for the different management options of moored FAD fishing and regulation of access to moored FADs from the perspective of sustainable fisheries management in the Lesser Antilles.
34. A draft proposal aimed at securing European Union funds for research work to support the sustainable exploitation of the marine resources around moored FADs was presented to the SAG. The SAG recommended that the proposal consider both the social and economic benefits and the study of alternative management and fishing strategies to reduce possible negative impacts, particularly on those species that were presently considered overfished. The SAG also requested that the final copy of the proposal be sent to the WECAFC secretariat for comments and should be presented to the next session of the Commission in October 2005.
Ad hoc Working Group on Queen Conch
35. The FAO Secretariat reported that, in response to requests for assistance, it was in the process of producing a manual on management of queen conch, Strombus gigas, in accordance with the regulations and requirements of CITES. A draft manual was produced and had been submitted to several technical experts in Belize, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, as well as to the International Queen Conch Initiative, the CARICOM Regional Fisheries Mechanism and the CITES Secretariat for comments. The manual was being finalised and should be completed during 2005. Subject to availability of extrabudgetary funds, it was intended to run national and subregional training workshops on application of the methods described in the manual.
Ad hoc Working Group on the Shrimp and Groundfish Fisheries of the Brazil-Guianas shelf
36. The FAO Secretariat reported that some activities had taken place since the previous SAG meeting within the WECAFC ad hoc Working Group on the Shrimp and Groundfish Fisheries of the Brazil-Guianas Shelf. In February 2005, a consultant had visited Surinam and assessed the current status of data collection and assessment of the national shrimp and groundfish fisheries. His report identified several priority activities that should be implemented to facilitate strengthening of the existing assessment and management of the fisheries in that country. It had not been possible to visit Guyana on the same mission because of the major floods that had been experienced in the country but a mission to Guyana was planned for later in the year. A two-week assessment workshop was held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad in April 2005 on the shrimp and groundfish fisheries of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. The workshop culminated in a meeting of stakeholders from both countries at which the most recent assessment of the status of the shrimp and groundfish resources and several management recommendations were presented.
37. SAG welcomed the progress made by the ad hoc Working Group on Shrimp and Groundfish Resources in the Brazil-Guianas Shelf but urged that FAO and Working Group member countries should seek to locate support and funding for a meeting and workshop of all members of the Working Group within the next two years. It was also suggested that the issues raised at the stakeholders' meeting in Trinidad should be addressed at the next meeting, including the potential impact of pollution and habitat destruction on shrimp and groundfish resources in sheltered inshore areas.
Ad hoc Working Group on Caribbean Spiny Lobster Resource in the WECAFC Area
38. The Secretariat stated that it had not been possible to hold a meeting of the WECAFC ad hoc Working Group on Caribbean Spiny Lobster since the previous SAG meeting but that it was likely that some funding would be available from the FAO FishCode programme to hold a meeting later in 2005 or early in 2006. SAG stressed the importance of continuing the momentum built up by the Working Group on Spiny Lobster and recommended that FAO and the member countries of the Working Group should strive to ensure that a meeting took place during that period.
Ad hoc Flyingfish Working Group of the Eastern Caribbean
39. The Secretariat stated that it had not been possible to hold a meeting of the flyingfish working group since January 2001 for various reasons, which included the boundary delimitation status between two members of the Group and the state of readiness of members of the Group in terms of the availability of data on the fisheries. The agenda for the next meeting of the Group will include the draft Subregional Fisheries Management Plan for Flyingfish in the Eastern Caribbean which was prepared in 2002.
40. The Secretariat introduced document WECAFC/SAG/05/III/2, drawing attention to catches of species and species groups that displayed notable trends. Amongst the catches showing sustained declines in recent years were those of several of the reef species including groupers nei, some snapper and jobfish species and sharks, rays, skates, etc. nei. Catches of some species had shown increases over recent years. These included common snook, Caribbean Spiny lobster and the seabob (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri). Attention was drawn to the need to improve fisheries management in most WECAFC countries in order to ensure sustainable use of the resources. Fisheries management should be in accordance with an ecological approach. Protection and restoration, where appropriate, of critical habitats would be necessary for many resources, particularly inshore species and communities.
41. SAG members drew attention to the poor identification of catches in many cases, noting that a large proportion of catches by WECAFC countries were identified only in highly aggregated categories rather than at species level. This poor identification would hinder effective management and could mask important trends in landings of particular species. The SAG urged WECAFC to address this matter urgently.
42. One member referred to the apparent severe decline in red
grouper shown in figure B3.6 of the document. It was pointed out that the
landings shown in that figure were very misleading as they do not include those
from Mexico. The SAG member provided detailed statistics from a publication by
C. Monroy and co-authors[3] on the catches of
Cuba and Mexico from the Campeche Bank in Mexico. Those figures indicated that
catches from Campeche Bank had peaked at nearly 20 000 tonnes in 1972. They had
declined more or less consistently since then but were still above
8 000
tonnes in 2001. This would be described in the revised version of
WECAFC/SAG/05/III/2 to be submitted to the next session of WECAFC.
43. SAG expressed concern about the inadequacy of the information on shark catches in the WECAFC area and the possibility that, for those groups for which information was available, the declines in catches may reflect declines in abundance. Attention was drawn to the report of the Twenty-sixth Session of COFI, which referred to the lack of progress in developing National Plans of Action for sharks in many countries. One member stated that many species of coastal sharks in the United States of America and the oceanic mako and blue shark in the Gulf of Mexico were considered to be overexploited. It was reported that ICCAT, the United States and Costa Rica had banned finning of sharks and that only whole sharks could be landed. SAG recommended that those WECAFC countries that have not yet developed and implemented NPOAs on sharks should do so as a matter of priority.
44. The substantial increase in landings of Atlantic seabob, Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, was discussed and the need for assessment of the status of the species across its distribution range, while the fishery was still in the development phase, was stressed. It was noted that there was very little data available on fisheries and landings of the species and the SAG recommended urgent implementation of systems for the collection of such data as well as information on the biological characteristics of the species. It was recognised that many of the catches were made by small-scale fisheries which would hinder the collection of accurate and complete information.
45. The SAG agreed that the final document on status of fisheries in the WECAFC region can be published as an FAO Circular and posted in the FAO/FI Web Site, after its review and approval by the Twelfth Session of the Commission to be held in October 2005. This document should be kept in the Web Page until the following session of the Commission when an updated version should be posted.
46. The Secretariat introduced the document WECAFC/SAG/05/III/3 - Status and Trends of Fisheries and Aquaculture in the WECAFC Region that contains information up to 2003. SAG was informed that, subject to information availability, the document had been prepared taking into account, as far as possible, the usual format which was recommended by the First Session of SAG.
47. The Group noted the information and analysis provided in the document and commented on and cross-examined some of the data supporting the analysis and conclusions and suggested some improvements in the presentation of the data concerning non-food uses. The Group also reviewed the main conclusions presented in the document and provided their comments on trends related to fish production, fish utilization, fish consumption, fish trade and prospects for sustainable development in the countries of the WECAFC region. The group welcomed the proposal of the Secretariat to include in the final version of the report a more detailed analysis, in particular by selected subgroups of countries, in relation to the composition of fish supply.
48. In following the suggestion made by the First Session of SAG, the document also included a list of issues currently being debated at the international level and which may have implications for the region. These included:
(i) Fish quality and safety exporting requirements and its potential impact on small scale fisheries in the region;
(ii) The formulation of National Plans of Action (NPOAs) on Sharks, Fishing Capacity, Seabirds and IUU fishing; and
(iii) The economic, social and legal issues associated with the ecosystem approach to fisheries.
49. The Group agreed that the Secretariat would include in the Issues section in the final document to be presented to the Twelfth Session of the Commission, a presentation and brief discussion of the abovementioned issues. Based on the available information, this section will include a description of the nature of the issues and the current status of the debate at international and regional levels.
50. The SAG agreed to provide additional comments on the document WECAFC/SAG/05/III/3 to the Secretariat by the end of May 2005. The final document will be presented to the Twelfth Session of the Commission in October 2005. SAG recommended that the final version, as approved by the Commission, should be published as an FAO Circular and posted in the FAO/FI Web Page, until the following Session of the Commission when an updated version will be posted.
51. The SAG considered the following background statements regarding the need for strengthening WECAFC as made by the Eleventh Session of the Commission, October 2003, Grenada:
The WECAFC region is extremely diverse, both with respect to social, economic, cultural and political characteristics and with respect to the types of fisheries resources available;
Many of the most critical fisheries resources are transboundary, straddling or highly migratory stocks, making regional and subregional cooperation a prerequisite for sustainable fisheries management; and
The lack of effective regional cooperation has contributed to the current state of the region's fisheries. Many of the most economically and socially important fisheries are in decline.
52. The SAG also reviewed documents provided by the FAO secretariat (WECAFC/SAG/05/III/4), FAO (2005a,b), Singh-Renton (2005), and CARICOM (2004); Annex C, List of Documents. These papers offered a good summary of some of the operational options available to strengthen WECAFC, including the type of regional fishery body (article VI or XIV) that could come out of this process. The SAG noted that, at its Ninth Session, September 1999, Saint Lucia, the WECAFC reached the conclusion that it would remain as an Article VI body under the FAO Constitution[4].
53. In order to structure its discussions, the SAG considered the list of issues identified by the Eleventh Session of WECAFC, October 2003, which the intersessional working group was asked to consider, and provided its comments, which are as follows:
54. Experience within FAO in strengthening other international fisheries bodies.
The meeting noted the information provided by document, WECAFC/SAG/05/III/4.
55. How a strengthened WECAFC could most effectively interact with existing mechanisms and Programmes in the region.
The meeting noted that SAG's responsibilities include reporting to WECAFC on the status and trends of the fisheries resources within the WECAFC area, most of which are shared or straddling stocks. The preparation of this report, which is one of few published reports on the status of fishery resources within the WECAFC region, could be improved through partnership arrangements with relevant agencies in the region.
56. How a strengthened WECAFC could increase economic benefits derived from fishing activities, particularly with respect to the contribution of artisanal fisheries to economic development and food security in the region.
None of the WECAFC ad hoc Working Groups have a programme focused on the issue of economic development and food security of traditional fisheries but all Groups use information from artisanal fisheries and in some instances have done economic analysis that include data from such fisheries. The Groups have also come to conclusions and made recommendations relevant to traditional fisheries. The SAG does have some expertise on this issue and can provide broad advice to WECAFC on these matters, providing new information on the subject could be procured by requesting all current ad hoc Working Groups to address this issue as part of their work plan. If the countries participating in the ad hoc Working Groups wanted them to focus on methods to enhance the economic benefits from traditional fisheries, the tasks and composition of the Working Groups could be adjusted to accommodate that new aim.
57. How a strengthened WECAFC could promote the adoption, implementation and enforcement at the national level of compatible management measures for shared stocks in the region.
The SAG decided that although it supports harmonization of management, because this simplifies greatly the evaluation of alternative management strategies, the issues of enforcement and harmonization are management and policy issues, which were outside the terms of reference of the SAG. Attention was drawn to the fact that the conclusions and recommendations of the ad hoc Working Groups regularly addressed adoption, implementation and enforcement of management measures at the national and regional levels, and that, where appropriate, these addressed the need for regional harmonization and cooperation. SAG recommended that WECAFC should support ongoing work of this nature by the Working Groups and give attention to implementation of approved Working Group recommendations.
58. The SAG noted that the evolution of the CLME supported the emphasis and priorities set by the WECAFC, and the strategy it adopted to implement its work programme, during the Ninth Session of the Commission, September 1999, Saint Lucia.
59. How a strengthened WECAFC could build on current structures and Programmes in the region such as the existing working groups and build effective outreach with related organizations and institutions.
The SAG noted that the Report of the Second Session of the SAG, FAO Fisheries Report No. 711, was relevant and still valid. The following are excerpts from this report that relate to the working group strategy adopted by the Commission:
"[Ad hoc Working Group on] Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fisheries in the WECAFC Area
25. In noting the results of the 2002 Spiny lobster workshop, the second Session of SAG observed that even though progress was made in assessing the status of the stocks and promoting regional cooperation in the management of the Spiny lobster resource, most members of the group were not effectively implementing management measures for various reasons, such as inadequate control and enforcement, lack of agreed and transparent policies and management plans, inadequate funding for research, monitoring and control, and failings in wider communication with the general public, fishing groups, decision-makers and other stakeholders on the status of the resource and their social and economic importance and the responsibilities of managers and stakeholders. The SAG recommended that members of the Group should take steps to address these deficiencies.
(...)
[Ad hoc Working Group on] Shrimp and Groundfish in the Brazil-Guianas Shelf
29. The SAG took note of the following activities of the group and expressed satisfaction with the achievements, despite the severe funding constraints that had substantially limited the activities of the group in recent years:
The First Regional Conference on the Sustainability of Fisheries Resources in the Brazil-Guianas Shelf, Paramaribo, Suriname, 5-7 March 2002. The main objectives of the Conference were to share information and the best scientific information available on the status of the main commercial species of shrimp and groundfish in the region, generated by the WECAFC ad hoc Working Group, and to discuss and evaluate management recommendations and their applicability in the subregion. The Conference supported the trends identified by the ad hoc Working Group and expressed strong appreciation for the Group's work, and recommended that it be continued.
The workshop on the assessment of the shrimp stocks shared by Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, 18-22 November 2002. The outputs of the bilateral workshop should be invaluable to the two countries in their fisheries negotiations under the existing bilateral fisheries agreement.
[Ad hoc Working Group on] Flying Fish of the Eastern Caribbean
30. This ad hoc Working Group focuses its attention on a small oceanic pelagic species with limited, subregional distribution and is primarily funded from the Regular Programme of FAO. In noting the social and political importance of this Working Group in promoting cooperation in fisheries among the small-island states of region, the SAG expressed its concern that no meeting of this group has been held since the second workshop in January 2001, even though a third meeting was programmed for 2001. The SAG noted however, that a draft Subregional Fisheries Management Plan for Flyingfish in the Eastern Caribbean was prepared in 2002 and would be discussed at the next meeting of the Group.
31. Some members of SAG were of the opinion that the Working Group's scientific work and findings were not significantly influencing bilateral fisheries discussions between two members of the Working Group. The SAG suggested that an extra effort be made by the Group to inform resource users, including fisher organizations and in-country, grassroots NGOs, managers and decision-makers of the scientific work and findings of the Group. SAG was of the view that the use of the scientific findings of the WECAFC Working Groups to inform decision-making could be an indicator of success.
[Ad hoc Working Group on] Sustainable Moored Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Fishing in the Lesser Antilles
(...)
34. The SAG proposed that:
(i) Technical assistance should be requested from ICCAT for the assessment of the large pelagic fish stocks that are the target of this emerging anchored FAD fishery. To this end, an ICCAT expert should be invited to the next meeting of the working group in Guadeloupe.
(ii) The Working Group's work programme on moored FAD fishing for large pelagics and their ecosystem should be treated as a component of the large pelagic fishery in the region.
(iii) The SAG commended the Working Group for its programme and recommended that a benefit/cost analysis be done on the Working Group strategy adopted by WECAFC for the delivery of technical assistance. It was also suggested that this Group, given that it was only recently established, should start collecting the data and information to do such an analysis, if it was not already doing so."
60. The SAG made also the following observations:
(i) A number of other working groups established by regional fishery organizations could complement the work of WECAFC. SAG was of the view that a strengthened WECAFC could take advantage of these working groups by coordinating meetings and activities so that they do not overlap and hopefully complement each other. A strengthened WECAFC may consider holding ad hoc working group activities that coincide with activities of these other working groups to build synergy.
(ii) WECAFC should consider how to strengthen its collaboration with regional academic institutions in WECAFC member countries because such institutions have a large pool of people with skills and knowledge that can contribute to WECAFC's work.
61. Cost estimates for the establishment and running of a strengthened WECAFC with management authorities and a timetable for its establishment.
Since options and cost estimates were not available to it at this time, it was premature for SAG to consider this.
62. Whether a strengthened WECAFC should initially focus on species of particular interest. Case studies could include the following spiny lobster, queen conch, snapper-grouper complex, shrimp and groundfish, wahoo, and dolphin fish.
The SAG agreed that in the short term, facilitating current working groups should remain the emphasis of FAO activities in the WECAFC region.
63. The need for a group that focuses on demersal resources of the Central American Caribbean shelf has been identified in the past by WECAFC. The new FAO/FIINPESCA project entitled, "Strengthening of Interdisciplinary Fisheries Research for Responsible Fisheries in Central American countries", can be a conduit for the creation of an ad hoc working group on those resources. WECAFC should re-evaluate the need for and the self-sustainability of such working groups by the end of the FAO/FIINPESCA project.
64. A strengthened WECAFC should note that creating new groups should be done in a staggered manner and following a list of priorities that consider the need to cover the resources/area and issues that are of high priority to WECAFC members.
65. The WECAFC could benefit from the transboundary diagnostic analyses generated by other regional bodies, and to be conducted by the PDF-B stage of the CLME project, as a source of information for re-evaluating the number and/or scope of existing and future ad hoc working groups.
66. The SAG noted that, from its perspective, Article 6.4 of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries[5] was very pertinent to WECAFC members, the ad hoc working groups of WECAFC and the work of SAG, given the nature and characteristics of the living marine resources in the region. In this regard, sound scientific information was essential for decision-making. The following section reflects an analysis and a list of recommendations made by the SAG in light of its responsibility to provide scientific advice to the Commission.
67. The process of strengthening WECAFC through facilitating the operations of the existing ad hoc Working Groups, which may be modified or supplemented over time, has already been agreed upon by WECAFC at its Ninth Session, September 1999, Saint Lucia. The following paragraphs extracted from the report of the Ninth Session were still pertinent and worth reiterating:
"43. The Commission recognized that in order to enhance the effectiveness in providing fisheries management advice, it needed to:[6]
(i) Limit its activities to a few key areas supported by its Members;
(ii) Strengthen partnership arrangements with other regional and international organizations and donors;
(iii) Ensure that the programmes of action were more specific and pragmatic with clear objectives, taking into account, the needs of the Members and their capacities to realize such activities;
(iv) Develop national and regional capacity in international fisheries management, negotiations and conflict resolutions;
(v) Improve communication among the agencies involved in fisheries in the region with a view to encouraging complementarity and avoiding overlapping;
(vi) Provide avenues for other regional fishery bodies working in the area to report on their activities to the Commission;
(vii) Intensify efforts in undertaking joint activities and actions, in particular through networking arrangements; and
(viii) Increase its efforts in seeking external funding and sharing the costs of intersessional activities."
68. The meeting observed that the process of strengthening WECAFC should also focus on other functions of the Commission such as, deepening its role in coordination, communication, source of information on status and trends of fisheries in the region, promoting regional cooperation and exchange of information. These areas also need strengthening if the scientific evidence generated by the WECAFC ad hoc working groups and SAG is to be used effectively in management decision-making.
69. The SAG observed that the ad hoc working groups on Caribbean Spiny Lobster agreed on achieving self-sustainability over time at the level of meetings of ministers and fisheries managers. The Joint Statement of Ministers/Managers of the Meeting of Decision-Makers of the ad hoc working group on Caribbean Spiny lobster, 4 October 2002, Cuba, stated, "We undertake to support the full participation of our countries in the activities of the WECAFC ad hoc Working Group on Caribbean Spiny lobster and to seriously consider ways to strengthen the Working Group and to make it self-sufficient over time".[7]
70. SAG was of the firm view that a strengthened Commission should actively pursue the goal of self-sustainability for those working groups where feasible.
71. To this end, WECAFC could consider ensuring the following for each working group:
(i) that complete and effective data collection and analysis systems are in place in all participating countries and, where relevant, include catch and effort in international waters;
(ii) that each Working Group has high level capacity for biological, ecological, social and economic assessments of the fisheries and resources;
(iii) that scientific advice is generated on a regular basis and is used to inform and guide management decisions; and
(iv) that structures and processes are in place for good consultation with and participation by stakeholders.
72. If the suggestions contained in paragraph 70 were to lead to positive change, WECAFC member countries should take steps to ensure:
(i) that management measures, which may differ between countries according to their goals and objectives, are compatible across all countries;
(ii) that management measures are implemented and enforced throughout all countries and nationally and at the subregional level; and
(iii) that management measures and the systems of governance are periodically reviewed, making use of the best scientific advice available and, where appropriate, making use of validated traditional knowledge.
73. WECAFC should ensure the creation of partnerships with other relevant organisations to ensure that the working groups are working towards and in a manner consistent with agreed national instruments, including international instruments such as the UN Law of the Sea, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the Convention of Biological Diversity, etc.
74. WECAFC should promote the development of capacity in high priority components of fisheries governance in all WECAFC member countries and at the level of the Commission.
75. The SAG noted that the implementation of the above process or any equivalent will require substantial increases in the resources and restructuring of the WECAFC secretariat. In this regard, the SAG recommended that the Commission seriously consider making the WECAFC secretary a full time position. The FAO secretariat pointed out that it was highly unlikely that FAO could cover the budgetary implications of such a recommendation, given the current financial position of the Organization.
76. The SAG noted, from the oral presentation of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME) project coordinator, that the CLME seems to have similar goals to those of WECAFC with respect to living marine resources. It recommended that WECAFC member countries and FAO should consider participating actively in the PDF-B stage of the CLME project to ensure that due consideration is given to the priorities set by WECAFC member countries, the WECAFC current strategy for providing technical assistance to member countries and also to take advantage of the opportunities that the CLME project may offer, for the benefit of its members.
77. The CLME also provides an opportunity for WECAFC to strengthen its collaboration with and build partnerships with other regional organizations with similar interests in the region's fishery resources. Such regional organizations may also be potential partners in the CLME project.
78. Participation by WECAFC in the PDF-B stage of the CLME will increase the likelihood that the activities of the full CLME project will help WECAFC achieve some of its goals. The SAG therefore suggests to WECAFC member countries, that as much as possible, country representatives in the CLME steering committee should be fully aware of WECAFC members' needs, priorities and objectives so that these are considered in the planning process of the CLME project and during the implementation of the PDF-B stage. The WECAFC Secretariat could also assist by providing relevant information to the fisheries administrations in the member countries.
79. The SAG therefore recommends that WECAFC considers:
(i) participating actively in the PDF-B stage of the CLME project and the subsequent implementation of the full project; and
(ii) encouraging the use by the CLME project of the existing WECAFC ad hoc Working Groups as vehicles for relevant assessment and governance activities and where applicable, strengthen the work of the groups.
80. The SAG noted that the CLME project may last for ten years and by making use of the opportunities presented by the project, and any other opportunities that may arise by the end of that period, WECAFC could make substantial progress towards fulfilling its obligations as an FAO Article VI body. Also, by the end of that period WECAFC members could initiate joint management for at least some of its shared resources by working through and strengthening the WECAFC working groups, if the Members so desire.
81. The meeting agreed that the SAG could benefit from limited renewal of membership in 2006, after the next meeting of the Commission, to encourage the participation of other regional scientists in the WECAFC process and therefore, expand the support for WECAFC activities, whilst ensuring relative continuity of the knowledge now shared by the current members of the SAG. FAO should ensure that replacement members maintain the balance of scientific disciplines and related skills currently represented on the SAG.
Twenty-six Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI), 7-11 March 2005
82. The Secretariat informed the SAG of important items that were discussed at the Twenty-sixth Session of COFI. Particular attention was drawn to:
(i) the adoption of guidelines on ecolabelling of fish and fishery products noting the special circumstances, conditions and concerns applying to developing countries and countries in transition;
(ii) the ongoing cooperation between FAO and CITES in relation to commercially-exploited aquatic species;
(iii) the preparation of draft guidelines in "Enabling Responsible Small-scale Fisheries, through the Creation of a Supportive Environment";
(iv) the recommendation that FAO should develop technical guidelines on the design, implementation and testing of MPAs; and
(v) the encouragement given by COFI to Members and RFMOs to consider introducing and implementing the ecosystem approach to fisheries.
83. The Committee noted that many international fisheries instruments had been concluded since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), and agreed that from now on there should be a stronger focus on implementing the instruments concluded since UNCED rather than seeking to conclude new instruments. In this respect, some Members called for a "decade of implementation" for these instruments. Existing instruments included the 1993 FAO Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas (Compliance Agreement), the 1995 United Nations Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement), the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the International Plans of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (IPOA-Seabirds), for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks), to Prevent, deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU), IPOA-Capacity and the Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries (Strategy-STF). The Committee called upon Members to accept, ratify or accede, as appropriate, to these instruments since together with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, they provided the foundation for the long-term sustainable management of fisheries. The Committee also stressed that international cooperation was essential if sustainable fisheries and aquaculture were to be achieved. The Committee urged States, acting through regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), to ensure that they took further steps to implement the relevant provisions of the post-UNCED fisheries instruments because such action was critical to giving full effect to these instruments.
SIDS Meeting, Mauritius, 10-14 January 2005
84. The Secretariat referred to Section IV - Coastal and marine resources, of the Draft Mauritius Strategy for the further Implementation of the Programme of Action for Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, which was relevant to WECAFC countries, a significant number of which are SIDS. Countries should prioritize ocean and fisheries issues.
85. The SAG proposed to hold a meeting in 2007, in accordance with the Terms of Reference.
86. If the Commission decides to play an active role in the PDF-B stage of the CLME project, it may wish to instruct SAG to meet not later than May 2006 in order to facilitate scientific interaction between SAG and the development phase of the CLME project.
87. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, the exact dates will be determined by the Director-General of FAO in consultation with the Chair of SAG and the competent authorities of the host Government.
88. The Report was adopted on 27 April 2005.
1. Opening of the session
2. Adoption of the agenda
3. SAG members' report
4. Main decisions and recommendations of the eleventh session of WECAFC (Report)
5. State of fisheries in the WECAFC region6. Strengthening of WECAFC- The status of fisheries resources in the Western Central Atlantic Region
- Status and trends of fisheries and aquaculture
7. Membership of SAG
8. Any Other Business9. Time and place of next meeting- Twenty-sixth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI), 7-11 March 2005
- Mauritius SIDS Meeting, 10-14 January 2005
10. Adoption of the report
Barbados/Barbade
McCONNEY, Patrick
Lecturer
Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES)
University of the West Indies
Cave Hill Campus
PO Box 64
St. Michael
Tel.: (246) 417-4725
Fax: (246) 424-2404
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Cuba
DE LEON GONZALEZ, María Estela
Senior Scientist
Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras
5ta Ave. y Calle 246
Barlovento, Sta. Fe, Playa
Ciudad de la Habana 19100
Tel.: (53-7) 208 8638
Fax: (53-7) 204 9167
E-mail: [email protected]
France
REYNAL, Lionel
Chef du laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques
Délégation Antilles
IFREMER
Pointe Fort
97231 Le Robert, Martinique
Tel.: (596) 65 11 54
Fax: (596) 65 11 56
E-mail: [email protected]
Mexico
SEIJO, Juan Carlos
Universidad Marista de Mérida
Km 7 Antigua Carretera Mérida-Progreso
X Av. Marcelino Champagnat
Mérida 97119, Yucatán
Tel.: (52-99) 410 302
Fax: (52-99) 410 307
E-mail: [email protected]
United States of America
DIE, David
Scientist/Associate Professor
RSMAS University of Miami
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149
Tel.: (305) 361 4607
Fax: (305) 341 4457
E-mail: [email protected]
FAO Fisheries Department
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
COCHRANE, Kevern
Senior Fishery Resources Officer
Marine Resources Service
Tel.: + 39 06 5705 6109
Fax: + 39 06 5705 3020
E-mail: [email protected]
GUMY, Angel
Senior Fishery Planning Officer/
Fishery Policy and Planning Division
Tel.: + 39 06 5705 6471
Fax: + 39 06 5705 6500
E-mail: [email protected]
FAO SUBREGIONAL OFFICE
FOR THE
CARIBBEAN
CHAKALALL, Bisessar
Senior Fishery Officer/Secretary of WECAFC
FAO Representation
PO Box 631-C, Bridgetown
Barbados/Barbade
Tel.: (246) 426-7110
Fax: (246) 427-6075
E-mail: [email protected]
Observers
FANNING, Paul
Project Manager
LAPE Project
FAO Representation
PO Box 631-C, Bridgetown
Barbados
Tel.: (246) 426-7110
Fax: (246) 427-6075
E-mail: [email protected]
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WECAFC/SAG/05/III/1 |
Agenda |
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WECAFC/SAG/05/III/2 |
List of Documents |
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WECAFC/SAG/05/III/3 |
The status of fisheries resources in the Western Central Atlantic Region |
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WECAFC/SAG/05/III/4 |
Status and trends of fisheries and aquaculture in the WECAFC Region |
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WECAFC/SAG/05/III/5 |
Considerations for Strengthening the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) and Fisheries Management in the WECAFC Region - A discussion paper |
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WECAFC/SAG/05//III/Inf.1 |
Main Decisions and Recommendations of the Eleventh Session of WECAFC, St George's, Grenada, 21-24 October 2003 |
Reference documents
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COFI/2005 |
Draft Report of the Twenty-sixth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI), Rome, Italy, 7-11 March 2005 |
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FAO 2005a |
Summary of the Meeting of the Secretaries of the FAO Regional Fishery Bodies, 13 March 2005 |
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FAO 2005b |
Report of the Fourth Meeting of the Regional Fisheries Bodies, 14 and 15 March 2005 |
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Mauritius, Report of SIDS |
Draft Mauritius Strategy for the further implementation of the Meeting, 2005 Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States - International Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS, Port Louis, Mauritius, 10-14 January 2005 |
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CARICOM, 2004 |
A Common Fisheries Regime and Policy - Revised Framework |
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CRFM Secretariat, 2004 |
Minutes of the Third Meeting of the Working Group of the Common Fisheries Policy and Regime, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines, 29-30 November 2004 |
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Discussion paper for Third Meeting of the Working Group on the Common Fisheries Policy and Regime on: |
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CRFM Secretariat, 2004 |
A Common Fisheries Regime for the Caribbean Sea prepared by Carl Dundas and Carlyle Mitchell, July 2004 |
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FAO Fisheries Report No. 725 |
Report of the eleventh session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) and the eighth session of the Committee for the Development and Management of the Lesser Antilles, St George's, Grenada, 21-24 October 2003 |
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FAO Fisheries Report No. 711 |
Report of the second session of the Scientific Advisory Group of WECAFC, Le Robert, Martinique, 28-30 April 2003 |
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FAO Fisheries Report No. 612 |
Report of the ninth session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission and sixth session of the Committee for the Development and Management of Fisheries in the Lesser Antilles, Castries, Saint Lucia, 27-30 September 1999 |
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FAO Fisheries Report No. 576 |
Report of the seventh session of the WECAFC Working Party on the Assessment of Marine Fishery Resources, Belize, 2-5 December 1997 |
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FAO Fisheries Report No. 581 |
Report of the second session of WECAFC Working Party on Fishery Economics and Planning, Belize, 8-11 December 1997 |
SAG MEMBERS' REPORT
26. The participation of members of SAG in [these] diverse activities allowed the SAG to have a firsthand overview of the trends, challenges and constraints of fisheries-related initiatives in the WECAFC area. Members noted that many of the activities reported upon were interrelated even if not explicitly coordinated or structured to maximize opportunities for cooperation. The Commission, working groups and Member States of WECAFC were urged to integrate activities where feasible, and to ensure that the contributions of marine and fisheries science to decision-making were comprehensive and interdisciplinary.
MAIN DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ELEVENTH SESSION OF WECAFC
28. With respect to the convening of a consultation on the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and poverty alleviation, the Secretariat was unable to mobilize funds to support this activity, to date. No national workshops were held to specifically promote the utilization of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries since no request were received from member countries. However, other organizations such as the UWI Outreach Program, in the WECAFC region have assisted in promoting the code at the local and national levels.
Ad hoc Working Groups
FAD Working Group
34. A draft proposal aimed at securing European Union funds for research work to support the sustainable exploitation of the marine resources around moored FADs was presented to the SAG. The SAG recommended that the proposal consider both the social and economic benefits and the study of alternative management and fishing strategies to reduce possible negative impacts, particularly on those species that were presently considered overfished. The SAG also requested that the final copy of the proposal be sent to the WECAFC secretariat for comments and should be presented to the next session of the Commission in October 2005.
Ad hoc Working Group on Queen Conch
35. The FAO Secretariat reported that, in response to requests for assistance, it was in the process of producing a manual on management of queen conch, Strombus gigas, in accordance with the regulations and requirements of CITES. A draft manual was produced and had been submitted to several technical experts in Belize, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, as well as to the International Queen Conch Initiative, the CARICOM Regional Fisheries Mechanism and the CITES Secretariat for comments. The manual was being finalised and should be completed during 2005. Subject to availability of extrabudgetary funds, it was intended to run national and subregional training workshops on application of the methods described in the manual.
Ad hoc Working Group on the Shrimp and Groundfish Fisheries of the Brazil-Guianas shelf
37. SAG welcomed the progress made by the ad hoc Working Group but urged that FAO and Working Group member countries should seek to locate support and funding for a meeting and workshop of all members of the Working Group within the next two years. It was also suggested that the issues raised at the stakeholders' meeting in Trinidad should be addressed at the next meeting, including the potential impact of pollution and habitat destruction on shrimp and groundfish resources in sheltered inshore areas.
Ad hoc Working Group on Caribbean Spiny Lobster Resource in the WECAFC Area
38. The Secretariat stated that it had not been possible to hold a meeting of the WECAFC ad hoc Working Group on Caribbean Spiny Lobster since the previous SAG meeting but that it was likely that some funding would be available from the FAO FishCode programme to hold a meeting later in 2005 or early in 2006. SAG stressed the importance of continuing the momentum built up by the Working Group on Spiny Lobster and recommended that FAO and the member countries of the Working Group should strive to ensure that a meeting took place during that period.
Ad hoc Flyingfish Working Group of the Eastern Caribbean
39. The Secretariat stated that it had not been possible to hold a meeting of the flyingfish working group since January 2001 for various reasons, which included the boundary delimitation status between two members of the Group and the state of readiness of members of the Group in terms of the availability of data on the fisheries. The agenda for the next meeting of the Group will include the draft Subregional Fisheries Management Plan for Flyingfish in the Eastern Caribbean which was prepared in 2002.
STATE OF FISHERIES IN THE WECAFC REGION
Status of fisheries resources in the WECAFC Region
41. SAG members drew attention to the poor identification of catches in many cases, noting that a large proportion of catches by WECAFC countries were identified only in highly aggregated categories rather than at species level. This poor identification would hinder effective management and could mask important trends in landings of particular species. The SAG urged WECAFC to address this matter urgently.
43. SAG expressed concern about the inadequacy of the information on shark catches in the WECAFC area and the possibility that, for those groups for which information was available, the declines in catches may reflect declines in abundance. Attention was drawn to the report of the Twenty-sixth Session of COFI, which referred to the lack of progress in developing National Plans of Action for sharks in many countries. (...) SAG recommended that those WECAFC countries that have not yet developed and implemented NPOAs on sharks should do so as a matter of priority.
45. The SAG agreed that the final document on status of fisheries in the WECAFC region can be published as an FAO Circular and posted in the FAO/FI Web Site, after its review and approval by the Twelfth Session of the Commission to be held in October 2005. This document should be kept in the Web Page until the following session of the Commission when an updated version should be posted.
Status and trends of fisheries and aquaculture
49. The Group agreed that the Secretariat would include in the Issues section in the final document to be presented to the Twelfth Session of the Commission, a presentation and brief discussion of the abovementioned issues. Based on the available information, this section will include a description of the nature of the issues and the current status of the debate at international and regional levels.
50. The SAG agreed to provide additional comments on the document, WECAFC/SAG/05/III/3 to the Secretariat by the end of May 2005. The final document will be presented to the Twelfth Session of the Commission in October 2005. SAG recommended that the final version, as approved by the Commission, should be published as an FAO Circular and posted in the FAO/FI Web Page, until the following Session of the Commission when an updated version will be posted.
STRENGTHENING OF WECAFC
55. How a strengthened WECAFC could most effectively interact with existing mechanisms and programs in the region.
The meeting noted that SAG's responsibilities include reporting to WECAFC on the status and trends of the fisheries resources within the WECAFC area, most of which are shared or straddling stocks. The preparation of this report, which is one of few published reports on the status of fishery resources within the WECAFC region, could be improved through partnership arrangements with relevant agencies in the region.
56. How a strengthened WECAFC could increase economic benefits derived from fishing activities, particularly with respect to the contribution of artisanal fisheries to economic development and food security in the region.
None of the WECAFC ad hoc Working Groups have a programme focused on the issue of economic development and food security of traditional fisheries but all Groups use information from artisanal fisheries and in some instances have done economic analysis that include data from such fisheries. The Groups have also come to conclusions and made recommendations relevant to traditional fisheries. The SAG does have some expertise on this issue and can provide broad advice to WECAFC on these matters, providing new information on the subject could be procured by requesting all current ad hoc Working Groups to address this issue as part of their work plan. If the countries participating in the ad hoc Working Groups wanted them to focus on methods to enhance the economic benefits from traditional fisheries, the tasks and composition of the Working Groups could be adjusted to accommodate that new aim.
57. How a strengthened WECAFC could promote the adoption, implementation and enforcement at the national level of compatible management measures for shared stocks in the region.
The SAG decided that although it supports harmonization of management, because this simplifies greatly the evaluation of alternative management strategies, the issues of enforcement and harmonization are management and policy issues, which were outside the terms of reference of the SAG. Attention was drawn to the fact that the conclusions and recommendations of the ad hoc Working Groups regularly addressed adoption, implementation and enforcement of management measures at the national and regional levels, and that, where appropriate, these addressed the need for regional harmonization and cooperation. SAG recommended that WECAFC should support ongoing work of this nature by the Working Groups and give attention to implementation of approved Working Group recommendations.
58. The SAG noted that the evolution of the CLME supported the emphasis and priorities set by the WECAFC, and the strategy it adopted to implement its work programme, during the Ninth Session of the Commission, September 1999, Saint Lucia.
60. The SAG made also the following observations:
(i) A number of other working groups established by regional fishery organizations could complement the work of WECAFC. SAG was of the view that a strengthened WECAFC could take advantage of these working groups by coordinating meetings and activities so that they do not overlap and hopefully complement each other. A strengthened WECAFC may consider holding ad hoc working group activities that coincide with activities of these other working groups to build synergy.
(ii) WECAFC should consider how to strengthen its collaboration with regional academic institutions in WECAFC member countries because such institutions have a large pool of people with skills and knowledge that can contribute to WECAFC's work.
62. Whether a strengthened WECAFC should initially focus on species of particular interest. Case studies could include the following spiny lobster, queen conch, snapper-grouper complex, shrimp and groundfish, wahoo, and dolphin fish.
The SAG agreed that in the short term, facilitating current working groups should remain the emphasis of FAO activities in the WECAFC region.
63. The need for a group that focuses on demersal resources of the Central American Caribbean shelf has been identified in the past by WECAFC. The new FAO/FIINPESCA project entitled, "Strengthening of Interdisciplinary Fisheries Research for Responsible Fisheries in Central American countries", can be a conduit for the creation of an ad hoc working group on those resources. WECAFC should re-evaluate the need for and the self-sustainability of such working groups by the end of the FAO/FIINPESCA project.
64. A strengthened WECAFC should note that creating new groups should be done in a staggered manner and following a list of priorities that consider the need to cover the resources/area and issues that are of high priority to WECAFC members.
65. The WECAFC could benefit from the transboundary diagnostic analyses generated by other regional bodies, and to be conducted by the PDF-B stage of the CLME project, as a source of information for re-evaluating the number and/or scope of existing and future ad hoc working groups.
A suggested process for strengthening WECAFC
67. The process of strengthening WECAFC through facilitating the operations of the existing ad hoc Working Groups, which may be modified or supplemented over time, has already been agreed upon by WECAFC at its Ninth Session, September 1999, Saint Lucia. (...)
68. The meeting observed that the process of strengthening WECAFC should also focus on other functions of the Commission such as, deepening its role in coordination, communication, source of information on status and trends of fisheries in the region, promoting regional cooperation and exchange of information. These areas also need strengthening if the scientific evidence generated by the WECAFC ad hoc working groups and SAG is to be used effectively in management decision-making.
69. The SAG observed that the ad hoc working groups on Caribbean Spiny Lobster agreed on achieving self-sustainability over time at the level of meetings of ministers and fisheries managers. The Joint Statement of Ministers/Managers of the Meeting of Decision-Makers of the ad hoc working group on Caribbean Spiny lobster, 4 October 2002, Cuba, stated, "We undertake to support the full participation of our countries in the activities of the WECAFC ad hoc Working Group on Caribbean Spiny lobster and to seriously consider ways to strengthen the Working Group and to make it self-sufficient over time".[9]
70. SAG was of the firm view that a strengthened Commission should actively pursue the goal of self-sustainability for those working groups where feasible.
71. [To this end,] WECAFC could consider ensuring the following for each working group:
(i) that complete and effective data collection and analysis systems are in place in all participating countries and, where relevant, include catch and effort in international waters;
(ii) that each Working Group has high level capacity for biological, ecological, social and economic assessments of the fisheries and resources;
(iii) that scientific advice is generated on a regular basis and is used to inform and guide management decisions; and
(iv) that structures and processes are in place for good consultation with and participation by stakeholders.
73. WECAFC should ensure the creation of partnerships with other relevant organizations to ensure that the working groups are working towards and in a manner consistent with agreed national instruments, including international instruments such as the UN Law of the Sea, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the Convention of Biological Diversity, etc.
75. The SAG noted that the implementation of the above process or any equivalent will require substantial increases in the resources and restructuring of the WECAFC secretariat. In this regard, the SAG recommended that the Commission seriously consider making the WECAFC secretary a full time position. The FAO secretariat pointed out that it was highly unlikely that FAO could cover the budgetary implications of such a recommendation, given the current financial position of the Organization.
The Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem, an option for implementation of the suggested process
76. The SAG noted, from the oral presentation of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME) project coordinator, that the CLME seems to have similar goals to those of WECAFC with respect to living marine resources. It recommended that WECAFC member countries and FAO should consider participating actively in the PDF-B stage of the CLME project to ensure that due consideration is given to the priorities set by WECAFC member countries, the WECAFC current strategy for providing technical assistance to member countries and also to take advantage of the opportunities that the CLME project may offer, for the benefit of its members.
79. The SAG therefore recommends that WECAFC considers:
(i) participating actively in the PDF-B stage of the CLME project and the subsequent implementation of the full project; and
(ii) encouraging the use by the CLME project of the existing WECAFC ad hoc Working Groups as vehicles for relevant assessment and governance activities and where applicable, strengthen the work of the groups.
80. The SAG noted that the CLME project may last for ten years and by making use of the opportunities presented by the project, and any other opportunities that may arise by the end of that period, WECAFC could make substantial progress towards fulfilling its obligations as an FAO Article VI body. Also, by the end of that period WECAFC members could initiate joint management for at least some of its shared resources by working through and strengthening the WECAFC working groups, if the Members so desire.
MEMBERSHIP OF SAG
81. The meeting agreed that the SAG could benefit from limited renewal of membership in 2006, after the next meeting of the Commission, to encourage the participation of other regional scientists in the WECAFC process and therefore, expand the support for WECAFC activities, whilst ensuring relative continuity of the knowledge now shared by the current members of the SAG. FAO should ensure that replacement members maintain the balance of scientific disciplines and related skills currently represented on the SAG.
TIME AND PLACE OF NEXT MEETING
85. The SAG proposed to hold a meeting in 2007, in accordance with the Terms of Reference.
| [1] "White Water to Blue Water
(WW2BW) Partnership Conference" Co-chaired by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),
Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo, the United Nations
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC), the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United States of America,
22-26 March 2004, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Miami, Florida. Web Page: www.ww2bw.org [2] http://oceancommission.gov/documents/prepub_report/welcome.html http://pwetrusts.org/pdf/env_pew_oceans_final_report.pdf [3] Monroy, C., E. Giménez, R. Burgos y V. Moreno. 2001. Informe de investigaciones conjuntas México-Cuba sobre el mero (Epinephelus morio, Valenciennes, 1828) en el Banco de Campeche. Ministerio de la Industria pesquera, Cuba. 43p. [4] FAO Fisheries Report No. 612. [5] Conservation and management decisions for fisheries should be based on the best scientific evidence, also taking into account traditional knowledge of the resources and their habitat, as well as relevant environmental, economic, and social factors. States should assign priority to undertake research and data collection in order to improve scientific and technical knowledge of fisheries including their interaction with the ecosystem. In recognizing the transboundary nature of the many aquatic ecosystems, States should encourage bilateral and multilateral cooperation in research, as appropriate. [6] FAO Fisheries Report No. 612, para. 43. [7] FAO Fisheries Report No. 715, para. 68. [8] All the background documents for the meeting were in English. [9] FAO Fisheries Report No. 715, para. 68. |
