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Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission

Ninth Session

WECAFC - Lesser Antilles Fisheries Committee

Sixth Session

Castries, St. Lucia, 27-30 September 1999

TASK OF THE NINTH SESSION

I. Introduction

1. The Twenty-second Session of the Committee of Fisheries, March 1997, agreed that FAO regional fishery bodies should be reviewed and evaluated by their members, taking full account of regional and membership differences, to determine what measures should be taken to facilitate the strengthening of each body. (FAO Fishery Report No. 562, para. 31).

2. The Twenty-ninth Session of the FAO Conference in 1997 recommended the review of FAO statutory bodies by considering the continuing need to: enhance the efficiency of the organisation and its governance in a time of financial challenge; eliminate statutory bodies that are obsolete; ensure more flexible task-oriented and time-bound working arrangements for those that remain; and limit the creation of new bodies to those that are strictly necessary.

II. Background Information

Origin and Purpose of WECAFC

3. The Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) was established in 1973 by Resolution 4/61 of the FAO Council under Article 4 of the FAO Constitution in the light of the challenges faced by the fishing nations operating in the area. The purpose of the Commission was to assist in international cooperation efforts for the conservation, development and utilisation of living resources, especially shrimp, of the Western Central Atlantic.

4. The FAO Council in November 1973 (61st Session, Resolution 4/61) recommended the establishment of WECAFC and outlined the following terms of reference of the Commission, which have not changed:

• to promote and assist in the collection of national statistics and biological data relating to dissemination of these data on a regional basis;
• to facilitate the co-ordination of national research programmes and to promote, where appropriate, the standardisation of research methods;
• to promote the interchange of information relating to the fisheries of the region;
• to promote and co-ordinate, on a national and regional basis, studies on the effect of the environment and of pollution on fisheries, and studies of appropriate methods of control and improvement;
• to promote and assist in the development of aquaculture and stock improvement;
• to encourage education through the establishment or improvement of national and regional institutions and by the organisation of training centres and seminars;
• to assist Member Governments in establishing rational policies for the development and utilisation of the resources consistent with national objectives and the conservation and improvement of the resources; and
• to promote and co-ordinate international aid to further the achievement of the objectives referred to in the proceeding sub-paragraphs.

Role/Function of WECAFC and its Contribution to Regional Cooperation

5. The Commission has held eight sessions. At its last session in Venezuela, November 1995, the Commission recommended that FAO conduct an assessment of the situation of fisheries in the region in respect of the future role of the Commission and the prospects for enhancing regional co-operation in the region. (FAO Fisheries Report No. 543, para. 65). It was mentioned that this review should be prepared with technical contributions from the WECAFC Working Parties on Resource Assessment and Economics and Planning respectively. (FAO Fisheries Report No. 543, para. 67). This mandate was the principal objective of the Seventh Session of the Working Party on Assessment of Marine Fishery Resources.(FAO Fisheries Report SLAC/R576) and the Second Session of the Working Party on Economics and Planning (FAO Fisheries Report SLAC/581 (BI)).

6. WECAFC has contributed significantly to fisheries management and development in the region. For example, important contributions were made to fisheries management through the work of the Working Parties on Assessment of Marine Fishery Resources, on Fisheries Statistics, and on Economics and Planning. Significant contributions were also made by the Groups on Shrimp and Groundfish and on Spiny Lobster. Expert consultations were held on specific subjects such as shared resources in the Lesser Antilles; the use of micro-computers in fisheries; the use of length-based stock assessment methods; and sustainable fisheries development in the WECAFC region. These activities produced a substantial body of literature on fisheries management and conservation in the region. In addition, the Lesser Antilles Committee provided a forum for articulating the special needs of these small island states. These activities and bodies provided lessons and guidance in considering the future role of the Commission.

7. The level of WECAFC activities in the region has diminished since the termination of the WECAFC project in 1981. This was due to a variety of reasons, most related to the absence of a sense of ownership of the Commission by the member countries. The member countries appeared instead to focus their attention on consolidating and strengthening their national and sub-regional capacity (e.g., OLDEPESCA, OECS, CARICOM) in the light of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention.

8. Other reasons for diminished participation in WECAFC were identified as:

• the lack of awareness among members of the benefits to be gained in working through WECAFC;

• the apparent limited interest of senior level representatives in Commission meetings;

• the low priority given to fisheries departments which are often a small part of larger ministries e.g.,, of agriculture; and

• the perception that WECAFC was only a forum for discussion.

Responsible Fisheries and the International Fisheries Community

9. Recent international agreements such as the 1993 Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas (Compliance Agreement), the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (1995 UN Agreement on High Seas Fishery), and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, have all stressed the need for international co-operation among states through organisations at sub-regional, regional, and global levels, for the conservation, management and utilization of living aquatic resources. These developments have generated renewed interest in collaboration at the regional level.

10. All the recent agreements emphasise a need for collaboration and co-operation in the management of shared, straddling and highly migratory stocks. Where only a few countries are involved, this may be achieved through bilateral or multilateral arrangements. Where several countries are involved, they are required to identify or establish an organisation to undertake management, and to participate in the activities of that organisation. Failure to participate does not absolve a country of its responsibility to abide by the decisions of the organisation.

11. All the agreements include reference to the Precautionary Approach to fisheries management which stipulates that countries do not delay management action on the basis of a lack of information. In such cases, countries should proceed to manage with the best available scientific information and should adopt a conservative approach to management.

12. The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries stresses the importance of sub-regional and regional organisations e.g., paragraph 7.3.4. states:

"States and, where appropriate, sub-regional or regional fisheries management organisations and arrangements should foster and promote international cooperation and co-ordination in all matters related to fisheries, including information gathering and exchange, fisheries research, management and development".

III. Tasks of the Ninth WECAFC

13. Based on the recommendations of the Twenty-second Session of the Committee of Fisheries (para. 1) that also took into account the Twenty-ninth Session of the FAO Conference (para. 2), the Ninth Session of the WECAF Commission is to determine its future role.

14. WECAFC has the institutional and technical potential, and the mandate to be a unique framework to facilitate and support member countries in pursuing sustainable fisheries in the region.

15. It is anticipated that the Commission will define precise, positive and feasible options for restructuring of the Regional Body, taking into account the requirements and recommendations of these international agreements.