Knowledge sharing and learning are at the core of the Common Oceans Program, supporting awareness raising and informed decision-making on key issues related to sustainable management and biodiversity conservation in the ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Tools
Dgroups
Dgroups is the Common Oceans Program knowledge sharing platform that is accessible to partners and stakeholders of the Program.
FAO elearning Academy
The FAO elearning Academy offers free access to learning opportunities and multilingual elearning courses on a variety of topics of global interest.
Vulnerable marine ecosystems database
The VME database is a global inventory of fisheries measures adopted in areas beyond national jurisdiction to prevent significant adverse impacts of bottom fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems.
Publications
Best practice-handling for handline and rod-and-reel fisheries
2025
The way a tuna fish is handled by the fisher within the first five minutes of it being caught makes or breaks the quality of the flesh and the price it will fetch at market. The International Pole and Line Foundation has written this guide for FAO’s Common Oceans Tuna project for dissemination and education among small-scale tuna handline fleets to serve as a user-friendly manual on best practices.
Implementing electronic monitoring governance for fisheries managed by RFMOs
2024
Effective large-scale electronic monitoring (EM) requires a well-designed governance framework for regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). With no one-size-fits-all approach, RFMOs must navigate various options. To support this, WWF-US, funded by the Global Environment Facility under the Common Oceans program, has developed a technical resource to help decision-makers understand EM governance choices and key decision points.
E-learning course
Strengthening deep-sea fisheries management in areas beyond national jurisdiction
15/05/2024
This e-learning course provides introductory level knowledge necessary to sustainably manage deep-sea fisheries (DSF) in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). It covers both the policy and legal, as well as the operational aspects of management, and outlines the roles and responsibilities of...