Technical Consultation on the Measurement of Fishing Capacity

Mexico City, Mexico, 29 November-3 December 1999

PROVISIONAL AGENDA, TIMETABLE AND INFORMATION NOTE

Monday, 29 November 1999

	09.00-10.00 h	Registration of participants
	10.00-11.00 h	Opening of the Technical Consultation Election of Chair Adoption of Agenda
	11.00-11.30 h	Introduction by the Technical Secretariat
	11.30-13.00 h	Presentation of selected technical papers
	14.30-17.30 h	Presentation of selected technical papers Discussion of selected issues

Tuesday, 30 November 1999

	09.00-12.00 h	Plenary: Presentation of selected technical papers Plenary: Discussion of selected issues Plenary: Formation of two Working Groups1
	14.30-17.30 h	Meetings of Working Groups

Wednesday, 1 December 1999

09.00-17.30 h

Meetings of Working Groups

Thursday, 2 December 1999

	09.00-12.00 h	Meetings of Working Groups
	14.30-17.30 h	Working Groups: Drafting of technical report

Friday, 3 December 1999

	09.00-12.00 h	Working Groups: Drafting of technical report (continued)
	14.30-16.30 h	Plenary: Discussion on proposals drafted by the Working Groups
	16.30-17.30 h	Plenary: Adoption of the report of the Technical Consultation Closing of the Technical Consultation

A. INFORMATION NOTE²

I. Introduction

FAO and its Members have been much involved over the last two years in the development of a more appropriate framework for the management of fishing capacity. A Technical Working Group on the Management of Fishing Capacity met in April 1998 to review related issues³. This work and the follow-up technical consultations held in July and October 1998 led to the elaboration and the adoption by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in February 1999 of an International Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity⁴. To facilitate the timely implementation of the Plan of Action, COFI further recommended that FAO organize a technical meeting on the measurement of fishing capacity. This recommendation was also discussed at the FAO Ministerial Meeting on the Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries held in Rome on 11 and 12 March 1999 and judged most appropriate in view of the growing concern for overcapacity in fisheries and the need to proceed as planned with the implementation of the Plan of Action.

II. Objective and Expected Outcome of the Technical Consultation

The Technical Consultation on the Measurement of Fishing Capacity will review various issues related to the measurement of fishing capacity with a view to facilitating the monitoring and assessment of fishing capacity world-wide. It is intended to facilitate the implementation of the International Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity. It will draw on work conducted in 1998 by FAO on the management of fishing capacity.⁵ The Consultation will advise on simple and practical methods for the measurement of capacity and the assessment of any imbalance between actual and desired levels of fishing capacity. New avenues and priorities for applied research would also be discussed.

The expected outcomes will include: (i) a report of the Technical Consultation; (ii) the subsequent preparation by FAO of technical guidelines for the measurement of fishing capacity and (iii) the publication of reference material based on the technical papers prepared for the meeting.

III. Nature and Scope of the Technical Consultation

The Consultation will focus on the technical aspects of measuring fishing capacity with the ultimate objective of managing fishing capacity. Considering the very technical nature of this Technical Consultation and the limited information base available on this relatively new topic, FAO has encouraged contributions of technical papers by individuals from various fields (biology, technology, economics, socio-economics) and backgrounds (fishery administration; fishery research; academics; industry; national and regional fishery management organizations; and specialized non-governmental organizations). This was carried out through the issuance in May 1999 of a Prospectus and Call for Papers.

It is recalled that the Call for Papers sought contributions on the following topics:

1. Country (or regional fishery organization) experience on monitoring, measurement and assessment of fishing capacity.

2. Case studies of specific fisheries.

3. Case studies or discussion papers on key factors and features to account for in determining fishing capacity.

4. Examples of practical methods and applications for relating fishing capacity to resource productivity and fishery management objectives.

5. Measurement of fishing capacity in small-scale fisheries.

6. Measurement of fishing capacity in fisheries based on highly fluctuating stocks.

IV. Organization of the Technical Consultation and Reporting

The Consultation will be organized by FAO in collaboration with the Government of Mexico. The meeting will be conducted in English, French and Spanish.

The following activities will be carried out prior, during and subsequent to the Consultation:

Prior to the Consultation:

• FAO will circulate an introductory document for the guidance of the Consultation.
• Technical papers prepared by participants will also be made available (in the language of submission).

During the Consultation (see attached Agenda):

• First: a plenary discussion on major methods and issues following presentation of selected technical papers.
• Second: in depth analyses will be conducted in two working groups with a view to providing technical guidance on measurement methods and key issues.
• Third: the working groups will report to plenary for general discussion of key conclusions and recommendations

Subsequent to the Consultation:

• A brief report of the Consultation will be prepared and published by FAO.
• Technical guidelines for the measurement of fishing capacity will subsequently be prepared by FAO.
• The technical papers submitted to the Consultation will be reviewed and published each in the language in which it was submitted.

V. Secretariat

Correspondence about the Technical Consultation on the Measurement of Fishing Capacity should be addressed to the Technical Secretary of the Consultation:

Dr Dominique GREBOVAL
Fishery Policy and Planning Division [F-420]
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Tel: (39) 06 57052122
Fax: (39) 06 57056500
E-mail: [email protected]

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1		Both working groups will review from a multi-disciplinary perspective the methods proposed for the measurement of capacity, capacity utilization and excess capacity. However each group will be asked to address methodological issues related to selected fisheries-specific conditions. One working group will account, inter alia, for measurement difficulties arising in relation to: a) fleet mobility amongst fisheries -multiple fisheries; b) fleet heterogeneity; c) scale of fishing operation -industrial vs. small-scale fisheries; d) the impact of technological evolution over time. The other working group will account, inter alia, for measurement difficulties arising in relation to: a) multispecies fisheries; b) fisheries showing high fluctuations in stock abundance or availability; c) fisheries based on highly migratory species.
2		For up-dated information, please consult our Web Site at: <http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/FISHERY/FISHERY.HTM>.
3		Report of the Technical Working Group on the Management of Fishing Capacity. La Jolla, USA, 15-18 April 1998. FAO Fisheries Report. No. 586.
4		The International Plan of Action is presently being published by FAO and is already available on the FAO Web Site at: <http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/FISHERY/FISHERY.HTM>.
5		Relevant FAO documentation can be made available upon request to the Technical Secretariat. Participants nominated to attend the Consultation are especially encouraged to review the aforementioned reports as well as FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 386: "Managing fishing capacity: selected papers on underlying concepts and issues."