FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa

RECOFI: Seventh Session of FAO Regional Commission for Fisheries

14/05/2013-16/05/2013

RECOFI: Seventh Session of FAO Regional Commission for Fisheries
In the Gulf and Sea of Oman region, where fish stocks are shared by the coastal countries and are becoming increasingly over-exploited, where fisheries and aquaculture are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and where fisheries and aquaculture comprise and important livelihood source to countless small and medium scale fishers, traders, processors and others, regional cooperation is imperative to safeguard fish stocks and fishery livelihoods for future generations.

Knowledge sharing, regional policy making, strategic planning and technical guidance are key elements to the continued success of sustainable regional fisheries management and development.

As a regional fishery body, the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) serves as a vital mechanism for ensuring the sustainable management and development of fisheries and aquaculture among its eight member countries Kingdom of Bahrain, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Iraq, State of Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

RECOFI will be holding its Seventh Session in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 14 to 16 May 2013. A number of issues key to the future development of this Commission and fisheries and aquaculture in the region will be discussed and agreed upon, highlights include:
 
  • The future and sustained implementation of the RECOFI Recommendation on minimum data reporting, a highly instrumental recommendation to the appraisal of regional fisheries and the first binding recommendation adopted by RECOFI;
 
  • Future progress on the Regional Aquaculture Information System (RAIS), an important information system developed by RECOFI;
 
  • Appraisal of the current state of fisheries resources and aquaculture development in the RECOFI region;
 
  • Use of spatial planning tools in fisheries and aquaculture with regards to RECOFI fisheries and aquaculture management and development;
 
  • Consideration of social and economic issues in the fisheries management and aquaculture development discourse in the RECOFI region;
 
  • The progress of the tripartite initiative (Iran, Iraq and Kuwait) on fisheries management cooperation in the northern area of the Gulf
 
  • A number of other topics, relating to by-catch management and low-impact fishing, the programme of work and budget for 2013-2014 among others.

RECOFI was established through an agreement concluded under Article XIV body of the FAO Constitution which came into force on 26 February 2001. The seat of the Commission is at the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa in Cairo, Egypt (http://www.fao.org/fishery/rfb/recofi/en).