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COFI:FT/VII/2000/3





Item 5 of the Provisional Agenda

COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES

SUB-COMMITTEE ON FISH TRADE

Seventh Session

Bremen, Germany, 22-25 March 2000

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES - Responsible Fish Trade

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

1. Fisheries, including aquaculture, provide a vital source of food, employment, recreation, trade and economic well-being for people throughout the world, both for present and future generations and should therefore be conducted in a responsible manner. The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) sets out principles and international standards of behaviour for responsible practices with a view to ensuring the effective conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity. The Code recognizes the nutritional, economic, social, environmental and cultural importance of fisheries and the interests of all those concerned with the fishery sector. The Code takes into account the biological characteristics of the resources and their environment and the interests of consumers and other users. States and all those involved in fisheries are encouraged to apply the Code and give effect to it.

2. FAO has been widely disseminating the Code in various languages and is actively promoting its implementation. The Code has been published by FAO in Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish. In addition, FAO has been advised that, in a number of instances, governments, industry or NGOs have taken the initiative to translate the Code into other languages, including Estonian, Farsi, German, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Tigrina. However, some of the translations are unofficial, intended for internal government or other purposes only.

RELEVANT ARTICLES

3. The relevant articles of the CCRF for responsible fish trade are the whole Article 11, post-harvest practices and trade; the Article 6.7. which states: "The harvesting, handling, processing and distribution of fish and fishery products should be carried out in a manner which will maintain the nutritional value, quality and safety of the products, reduce waste and minimize negative impacts on the environment."; and the Article 6.14 which states: "International trade in fish and fishery products should be conducted in accordance with the principles, rights and obligations established in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement and other relevant international agreements. States should ensure that their policies, programmes and practices related to trade in fish and fishery products do not result in obstacles to this trade, environmental degradation or negative social, including nutritional, impacts."

4. A major issue addressed by the CCRF in Article 11 is the concept of "responsible fish trade": countries should promote trade of fish produced - either by aquaculture or capture fisheries - in a responsible way, or could prohibit trade in fish products not produced in such a manner. This can include under-sized fish specimens, fish caught by irresponsible fishing techniques, fish caught exceeding a quota or fish caught during a fishing ban period.

TECHNICAL GUIDELINES

5. The FAO Fisheries Department has published several technical guidelines in support of the implementation of the Code1. COFI:FT/VII/2000/3 Suppl. is a draft of the guidelines for Article 11.2. Responsible international trade and Article 11.3. Laws and regulations relating to fish trade.

PROMOTION AND IMPLEMENTATION

6. Article 4 of the Code requires the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) to monitor the application and implementation of the Code. A questionnaire was developed and forwarded to all FAO Members. The results were used to report to COFI on national measures taken towards implementation. FAO has been pleased with the high response to the questionnaire.

7. FAO's Fisheries Department has elaborated a draft strategy for the promotion and implementation of the Code. The draft strategy was considered by COFI at its February 1999 Session. COFI emphasized that the Code is an important basic instrument to facilitate sustainable utilization of global fishery resources and hence to contribute to food security and well-being of people. Several countries also reported on problems in implementation and it was suggested by some that progress had been slow.

8. The Committee underlined the need to clarify and simplify the national questionnaires, to facilitate reporting on actions to implement the Code. Noting the involvement of NGOs in the implementation of the Code and their strong support for it, the inclusion of such social and professional organizations in the national reporting process might be needed.

9. At the invitation of FAO's Director-General, Ministers responsible for fisheries met in Rome as a sign of their attachment to the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Inter alia, the Ministers were especially appreciative of FAO's role in promoting the application of the Code of Conduct and the increasingly wide adoption of the Code by States and concerned organizations. The Rome Declaration on the Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, unanimously adopted by the FAO Ministerial Meeting, attended by 126 Members of the Organization.

SUGGESTED ACTION BY THE SUB-COMMITTEE

10. Countries are invited to report on their experience related to action taken for implementing Article 11.2 and 11.3 of the CCRF, including the concept "responsible fish trade". Countries could comment on the reporting and on the guidelines to Article 11.2 and Article 11.3 (COFI:FT/VII/2000/3 Suppl.).

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No. 1 Fishing Operations
No. 1, Suppl.1 Fishing Operations, Vessel Monitoring System
No. 2 Precautionary Approach to Capture Fisheries and Species Introductions
No. 3 Integration of Fisheries into Coastal Area Management
No. 4 Fisheries Management
No. 5 Aquaculture Development
No. 6 Inland Fisheries
No. 7 Responsible fish utilization
No. 8 Indicators for sustainable development of marine capture fisheries