Bycatch is the unwanted or non-target part of the catch taken by fishermen. It is either discarded at sea or used for human or animal consumption. The capture of bycatch may pose a threat to marine species diversity and ecosystem health because this part of the catch is usually unregulated and, hence, can represent a threat to food security and sustainable fisheries production.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged States and regional fisheries management organizations to reduce or eliminate bycatch, catch by lost or abandoned gear, fish discards and post-harvest losses. In 2011 at the twenty-ninth session, the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) endorsed the International Guidelines on Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards and recommended that FAO provides support in capacity development.

Accordingly, and to follow-up on recommendations, the FAO regional office for the Near East and North Africa Region is organizing a regional workshop to develop a road map on how bycatch can be more effectively managed and how to reduce impacts of fishing on the environment.

The workshop will bring together international and national experts currently engaged in fisheries management and development from eight countries of the Near East and North Africa as well as fishing industry representatives. Participants will deliberate and identify financial, policy and technological challenges and actions necessary to manage bycatch and introduce low impact fishing techniques.

Main outcome of the workshop will be the development of a regional plan of action aiming at improving the management of bycatch and reducing fishing impacts in selected fisheries. The plan will be submitted to the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) through its working group on fisheries management.