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Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear

Manual for the marking of fishing gear – Suppl. 2










Einarsson, H., He, P. & Lansley, J. 2023. Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear – Manual for the marking of fishing gear. Suppl. 2. Rome, FAO.





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    Book (stand-alone)
    Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear
    A framework for conducting a risk assessment for a system on the marking of fishing gear. Suppl. 1
    2023
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    This document is a supplement to the Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG; FAO, 2019), and provides a framework for conducting a risk assessment to assist in determining the need for, and requirements of, a system for the marking of fishing gear. The development of this document was based on principles outlined in the Annex of the VGMFG and guided by the results of a pilot project for risk assessment on the marking of fishing gear conducted in Grenada. The marking of fishing gear contributes to sustainable fisheries, improving the state of the marine and freshwater environments by combatting, minimizing, and eliminating abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG); it also facilitates the identification and recovery of such gear. In addition, fishing gear marking supports fisheries management and can be used as a tool in the identification of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. This manual is intended to assist fisheries managers, fishing gear manufacturers and the fisheries sector to meet the relevant international, regional or national obligations for gear marking. More specifically, it enables all stakeholders to comply with the specific gear marking requirements outlined in the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, as well as in other international instruments and agreements. Organizations or parties concerned with, or actively addressing the issue of ALDFG may also find the information in this publication useful.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear / Directives volontaires sur le marquage des engins de pêche / Directrices voluntarias sobre el marcado de las artes de pesca 2019
    The Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear are a tool to contribute to sustainable fisheries, to improve the state of the marine environment, and to enhance safety at sea by combatting, minimizing and eliminating abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and facilitating the identification and recovery of such gear. The Guidelines assist fisheries management and can be used as a tool in the identification of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. The Guidelines address the purpose and principles, the scope of application and the implementation of a gear marking system and its associated components, including reporting, recovery and disposal of ALDFG or unwanted fishing gear and commercial traceability of fishing gear. The Guidelines also contain special considerations for developing States and small-scale fisheries with a view to capacity development, as well as guidance on conducting a risk-based approach to implementing gear marking systems. The Guidelines are expected to assist States in meeting their obligations under international law, including relevant international agreements and related governance frameworks and the specific requirements for gear marking contained in FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Les Directives volontaires sur le marquage des engins de pêche constituent un outil permettant de contribuer à la pêche durable, d'améliorer l'état de l'environnement marin et de renforcer la sécurité en mer en combattant, réduisant et éliminant les engins de pêche abandonnés, perdus ou rejetés (ALDFG) mais également de faciliter l'identification et la récupération de ces engins. Les Directives favorisent la gestion de la pêche et peuvent être utilisées pour identifier les activités de pêche illégales, non déclarées et non réglementées (INDNR). Les Directives traitent de l'objectif et des principes, du champ d'application et de la mise en œuvre d'un système de marquage des engins et de l’ensemble de ses composantes, notamment la notification, la récupération et l'élimination des ALDFG ou des engins de pêche indésirables ainsi que de la traçabilité commerciale du marquage des engins de pêche. Les Directives contiennent également des considérations spéciales pour les États en développement et les pêcheries artisanales pour le renforcement des capacités, ainsi que des orientations sur le développement d'une approche fondée sur les risques pour la mise en œuvre de systèmes de marquage des engins. Les Directives devraient aider les États à s’acquitter de leurs obligations en vertu du droit international, notamment des accords internationaux pertinents et des cadres de gouvernance connexes, ainsi que des exigences spécifiques en matière de marquage des engins figurant dans le Code de conduite de la FAO pour une pêche responsable. Las Directrices voluntarias sobre el marcado de las artes de pesca son un instrumento que contribuye a la pesca sostenible, a mejorar las condiciones del ambiente marino y a consolidar la seguridad en el mar, combatiendo, reduciendo al mínimo y eliminando los ALDFG y facilitando la identificación y recuperación de dichos aparejos. Estas Directrices contribuyen a la ordenación pesquera y se pueden utilizar como herramienta para identificar las actividades de pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada (pesca INDNR). Asimismo, abordan las finalidades y principios, el ámbito de la aplicación y la implementación de un sistema de marcado las artes de pesca y sus componentes conexos, incluidas la presentación de informes, la recuperación y la eliminación de los ALDFG. Contienen, además, consideraciones especiales para los Estados en desarrollo y los pescadores artesanales con miras al desarrollo de capacidad, además de orientaciones para conducir enfoques basados en los riesgos para aplicar los sistemas de marcado de las artes de pesca. Se espera que estas Directrices ayuden a los Estados a cumplir sus obligaciones derivadas del Derecho internacional, incluidos los acuerdos internacionales relevantes y los marcos de gobernanza conexos, además de los requisitos específicos para el marcado de las artes de pesca, estipulados en el Código de Conducta de la FAO para la Pesca Responsable (CCPR).
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Reporting and retrieval of lost fishing gear: recommendations for developing effective programmes 2022
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    Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear, alternately known as ALDFG or ghost gear is the most harmful form of marine plastic litter for marine animals and habitats. It also can impede safe navigation, mars beaches and reefs, and causes economic losses to fisheries and other marine-dependent industries across the globe. While current estimates of the amount of ALDFG in the ocean are not available, a growing body of evidence has documented high rates of ALDFG in fisheries around the world, with coincident costs to fisheries, harm to the environment, and safety risks. Because most fishing gear has significant plastic components, the negative impacts from ALDFG also include less direct but longer term impacts associated with other plastic pollution and microplastics including negative effects on biota, water quality and even human health. Advancing solutions to ALDFG on a global scale has gained momentum with the efforts of the FAO, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), and the IMO through their multilateral fora (COFI, UNEA and MEPC); the publication and endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG); the IMO action plan to address marine plastic litter from ships; the creation of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI); and the establishment of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Pollution (GESAMP) Working Group 43. These efforts reflect the growing understanding that ALDFG is a considerable and damaging source of MPL in the ocean. With the publication of the VGMFG and the Best Practice Framework (BPF) for the management of fishing gear, there are now references for how to prevent loss of fishing gear and prevent harm from ALDFG. Focusing on two key recommendations of the VGMFG and the BPF, this report describes systems for fisher-led reporting and retrieval of lost fishing gear, identifies critical elements of successful programs, and recommends next steps for countries to develop successful programs.

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