21 November 2024

Fisheries are vital to global food security, providing affordable nutrition to millions while supporting economic growth in low- and middle-income countries. Yet, climate change, pollution, and overfishing threaten aquatic ecosystems and food supplies.

The Common Oceans Program, a global alliance for action in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), addresses these challenges by promoting sustainable marine resource management and biodiversity conservation. On World Fisheries Day, we celebrate the program’s progress in creating healthier oceans and a more secure future for fisheries.

Tuna Project: Enhance Climate Resilience and Biodiversity Conservation

Climate change is shifting tuna stocks, jeopardizing revenues from fishing licenses for Pacific nations. Mercator Ocean and the Pacific Community, partners of the Tuna Project, use advanced models to predict these changes and support adaptive strategies to safeguard livelihoods.

Through global collaboration, the project combats illegal fishing, promotes sustainable practices, and enhances biodiversity conservation, enabling Pacific communities to thrive in a changing climate.

Additionally, the project works with tuna purse seine fleets to foster best practices that minimize ecological impacts. With support from the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), the project has introduced participatory Skippers Workshops, equipping captains and crews with bycatch reduction techniques.

Learn more:

• Climate change-driven changes in tuna distribution likely to impact economies of Pacific Ocean states, research suggests 

• Skippers workshops: A participatory approach to reducing bycatch in tuna fisheries 

Deep-Sea Fisheries Project: Strengthening Governance and Capacity Building

The Deep-Sea Fisheries Project supports sustainable fishing practices and the protection of vulnerable ecosystems in the high seas, through partnerships with Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).A recent FAO report underscores the recent advances in high seas fisheries management while emphasizing the need for continued efforts to ensure long-term sustainability. The project also supports capacity building through e-learning and in-person courses, as well as strengthening scientific advice. This generates knowledge sharing among RFMOs in the different ocean management regions.

Learn more:

• New FAO-report shows profound transformation of deep-sea fisheries management in the high seas 

• Review of the International Guidelines for Deep-Sea Fisheries in the High Seas 

About the Common Oceans Program

Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Common Oceans Program unites global partners to promote sustainable fisheries and biodiversity conservation in ABNJ. By focusing on tuna and deep-sea fisheries, the Sargasso Sea, and cross-sectoral collaboration, the program brings together governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, and academia to secure the future of our oceans.

Learn More:

• Not a drop in the ocean – key successes by the Common Oceans ABNJ Program 

• Common Oceans – the Areas Beyond National Jurisdictions (ABNJ) 

On World Fisheries Day, we celebrate the shared progress of this global partnership toward thriving oceans and resilient fisheries.