Expert Group Workshop on Marking of Fishing Gear
The Responsible Fishing Operations team is developing a Technical Manual for Marking Fishing Gear that will supplement the Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear thanks to the funding provided by the European Union through project GCP /GLO/432/EC.
The Manual is being developed through a comprehensive literature review, surveys and online workshops to fishing gear experts from all over the world.
Between end of October and beginning of November 2021, three online workshops on fishing gear marking methods were held covering the following regions of the globe: Europe and Africa, Central and South America, and Asia and Oceania. The workshops were held to increase the understanding of gear marking developments globally and gather information on examples of good practice for the implementation of fishing gear marking.
Experts from 17 countries from the cited regions participated in these workshops and provided a good overview of the status of fishing gear marking and the development of marking methods in their respective countries allowing identification of the fishing gear owner/operator.
The status of the marking of fishing gear in the world is very diverse, from non-existent to advanced systems.
The Manual will be published during the second quarter of 2022.
Photo: ©FAO/L. Callerholm