This is the final report of the Thirty-third Session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, India and convened in Hyderabad, India, 23–25 June 2014. The principal actions of the Thirty-third Session were to: review member countries’ progress on the recommendations of the previous session of the Commission and emerging regional policy issues in fisheries and aquaculture; consider the status of fisheries and aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region and the recommendations of the Fifth APFIC Regional Consultative Forum Meeting; inform member counties and others of the work undertaken by APFIC regarding sustainable intensification of aquaculture and the promotion of aquaculture planning and management tools for sustainable development; review the inter-sessional work of the Commission over the biennium and the Report of the Seventy-fourth Executive Committee Meeting; endorse the work plan and activities of APFIC in the forthcoming biennium of work (2014–2016) including the Sixth RCFM and the Thirty-fourth Session; inform member countries and others of the work programmes of other regional organizations competent in fisheries and aquaculture and how they relate to the work of APFIC.

The Commission also reviewed and endorsed the following: "APFIC Regional guidelines for responsible tropical trawl management"; "Essential EAFM" – a regional training course on the ecosystem approach to fishery management for the APFIC region; and the FAO/APFIC "Regional training course for port inspections of fishing vessels".

The Commission made a number of recommendations related to the work plan of APFIC and the need for action on areas related to: improved aquatic biosecurity; development of better methods to estimate the types and scale of IUU fishing in the region; the status of FADs and artificial reefs programmes in member countries; development of low-cost, efficient fish feeds and the use of renewable energy or energy efficient systems that would contribute to climate change mitigation or increased resource-use efficiency; development of a strategic action plan for supporting sustainable intensification of aquaculture in the region; initiation of pilot level application of selected tools in member countries with a strong interest in being involved in this. The Commission endorsed the APFIC work plan 2014–2016. 

APFIC (2014). Report of the Thirty-third Session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission, Hyderabad, India, 23–25 June 2014. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand, RAP Publication 2014/18, 72 p.