COFI/2003/Inf.7





COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES

Twenty-fifth Session

Rome, Italy, 24-28 February 2003

REPORT OF THE EXPERT CONSULTATION ON
CATALYZING THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM OVERCAPACITY IN MARINE CAPTURE FISHERIES
ROME, ITALY, 15-18 OCTOBER 2002

SUMMARY

1. This document contains the Report of the Expert Consultation on Catalyzing the Transition Away from Overcapacity in Marine Capture Fisheries which was held in Rome, Italy, 15 - 18 October 2002.

2. The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) urges States to work to prevent overfishing and excess fishing capacity and to implement management measures to ensure that fishing effort is commensurate with the productive capacity of the fishery resources and their sustainable utilization. As part of efforts to support sustainable development and, in particular, under the International Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity (IPOA - Capacity), FAO has been called upon to gather information about and to provide guidance regarding the management of fishing capacity and the management of overcapacity. Building on previous work1 which has described basic policy and technical issues relating to the management of fishing capacity, FAO hosted this expert consultation on catalyzing the transition away from overcapacity in marine capture fisheries to support local, national and regional management efforts to cope with situations where there is overcapacity.
3. After considering the range of factors that might hinder States' efforts to cope with situations of overcapacity, the Expert Consultation developed a set of general recommendations to assist in addressing this difficult subject and a general, flexible process for assisting the transition of fisheries that are characterized by overcapacity into fisheries that, without overcapacity, meet the management objectives and goals of the agency or group that has fisheries management responsibility. The Expert Consultation recognized that different fisheries will likely require different capacity reduction management programmes that reflect particular social, management, economic, and other needs.
4. The Expert Consultation made the following recommendations with respect to follow-up action by FAO. The recommendations are to:
- document case studies of capacity reduction management programmes as reference for the development of national plans of action in support of the IPOA - Capacity;
- elaborate and implement programmes to facilitate human resource development and institutional strengthening, especially in developing countries, so as to promote the full and effective implementation of national plans of action on the reduction of overcapacity; and
- convene an Expert Consultation addressing the design of capacity reduction management programmes for capture fisheries of developing and developed countries, paying particular attention to the development of the procedures for implementing such programmes and the consideration of related issues such as employment, poverty and food security.


1 Previous FAO-related work includes that of the Technical Working Group on the Management of Fishing Capacity, La Jolla, USA, 15 - 18 April 1998; FAO Consultation, Rome, Italy, 26 - 30 October, 1998; a preparatory meeting, 22 - 24 July, 1998; and publications such as Management of Fishing Capacity: A Review of Policy and Technical Issues, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 409.