This document outlines a roadmap for the transformation of aquatic food systems - ‘Blue Transformation’, providing a compass for the FAO’s work on aquatic food systems for the period 2022–2030. This roadmap for Blue Transformation aligns with the 2021 Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–2031. It focuses on the elements that would maximize the contribution of aquatic food systems to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Blue Transformation roadmap recognizes the importance of aquatic food systems as drivers of employment, economic growth, social development and environmental recovery, which all underpin the SDGs. It also recognizes the need to support the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable aquatic food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
This consultation was held to elaborate guidelines for catch documentation schemes. It covered illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing-related risks, transparency of the supply chain and the use of secure electronic systems to reduce falsification.
This is the final report of three regional consultations for Asia, Near East and North Africa, and Latin America held virtually between September 2021 and January 2022. The objective of the consultations was to deliberate on a draft guidance “Advancing end-to-end traceability along capture fisheries and aquaculture value chains”. The consultations confirmed the relevance and comprehensiveness of the proposed critical tracking events (CTEs) and key data elements (KDEs) in aquaculture and capture fisheries. They also highlighted that due consideration should be paid to small-scale producers, while recognizing equivalency of data and flexibility in data needs, particularly for developing countries.
The International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability: strengthening the science-policy nexus was held to support the development of a new vision for more sustainable and socially just fisheries, and more resilient to the challenges of the twenty-first century. The event managed to gather an incredibly diverse group of participants from different sectors and regions around the world. Moreover, a set of recommendations emerged from the sessions’ discussions, that will help improve the sustainability of capture fisheries and progress towards the different targets and objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Parties reviewed the status of the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (“the Agreement” or PSMA) and recalled the decisions of the Third Meeting of the Parties. Progress and challenges in the implementation of the Agreement by Parties were discussed and the important role of regional fisheries bodies (RFBs), in particular regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), in supporting the implementation of the Agreement was highlighted. The Parties agreed on the operationalization of the Global Information Exchange System by the end of 2023 and adopted the Terms of Reference for the Technical Working Group on Information Exchange. The Parties emphasized that assistance to developing States Parties is critical for the effective implementation of the Agreement, and reiterated the need to make the multilateral-partner PSMA Part 6 Trust Fund administered by FAO operational. The Parties adopted A Strategy to Improve the Effectiveness of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (the “Bali Strategy”). The Parties also agreed that the Terms of Reference of the PSMA Strategy ad hoc Working Group be modified to include the task of monitoring the effective implementation of the Agreement. The amended questionnaire for the Parties for the review and assessment of the effectiveness of the PSMA, together with the new questionnaire for RFBs and other international organizations, were adopted. The programme of work was discussed and the Parties agreed on a schedule of PSMA meetings.
The fifth Meeting of the Global Record Informal Open-Ended Technical and Advisory Working Group (GRWG) was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 13 to 14 May 2019. Issues discussed included the progress report and state of affairs, the international standards, the data exchange mechanisms, the role of regional fisheries bodies and the support to PSMA implementation.
This report presents the implementation activities and results of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Project FMM/RAS/298/MUL: Strengthening capacities, policies, and national action plans on prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials in fisheries. The objectives of this project were to develop and/or enhance the knowledge, skills and capacity of the participating Competent Authorities on fisheries and aquaculture, as well as to assist them in the development and implementation of policies and national action plans (NAPs) on the prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials. The project enhanced the capacities of national Competent Authority (technical specialists, inspection and laboratory staff) to enable productive engagement with other lead agencies (e.g. the World Health Organization [WHO], national agriculture, food safety and animal health authorities), particularly with respect to their aquaculture and fish food safety component contributions to the NAP and the integration of the aquatic sector within the One Health framework. The report also briefly summarizes the recent actions and activities taken by FAO related to AMR in aquaculture since the completion of this project, including awareness raising targeting policymakers and aquaculture stakeholders, relevant publications, candidate reference centers and other ongoing projects to date.
This publication contains the report with selected papers, of the FAO regional workshop, held in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2004, to discuss assistance for Caribbean countries to help develop capacity to implement national plans of action to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (NPOAs-IUU). Issues discussed include: the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the 2001 International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU) and technical guidelines to support implementation; and a case study for the development of a NPOA-IUU in a small island developing State
The 2020 FAO Vigo Dialogue focused on promoting human and labour rights to ensure better social practices along fisheries and aquaculture value chains, including emphasizing social problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The main issues and challenges that the sector is facing were discussed and identified. The Dialogue raised awareness of the situation faced by fish workers and the industry due to the pandemic, and allowed FAO to collaborate with relevant stakeholders by providing a clear outline of the significant challenges on social issues in fisheries and aquaculture value chains.
This report presents the outcomes of the webinar on “the experience of the aquaculture sector through best practices and mitigation measures facing the COVID-19 crisis” which took place on 1 July 2020 and was conducted over the internet and hosted on the Zoom platform for webinars. It was organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI). The webinar aimed to address the pandemic’s effects on aquaculture production as well as on supply chains, demand, local markets and trade, and to identify best practices and mitigation measures adopted by aquaculture farmers and countries. During the first thematic session, the experts highlighted the difficulties the aquaculture sector faced due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, several mitigation approaches were pointed out: i) specific financial support programmes designed through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF); ii) a strong national aquaculture strategy guaranteeing self-sufficiency along the entire supply chain of shrimp farming in Saudi Arabia; iii) the issuing of subsidies and credit loans in a timely manner to help producers in Turkey; iv) the development of an online platform for fish auctioning to boost fisheries supply chain in Oman; v) companies opening direct communication channels between the government and the farms in the United Arab Emirates; and vi) solidarity between the sector and consumers, which allowed for the achievement of 50 percent of the programmed goals in the fish feed and larval industry in Tunisia. Other points addressed during the second thematic session included specific measures adopted and proposed, such as the focus on different aquaculture final products (e.g. frozen fish) and the establishment of local hatcheries and fish feed factories. The Q/A session which followed concluded the webinar.
In March 2020, a regional inception workshop was held in Ghana a project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) entitled Enhancing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihoods through better policies, strategies and initiatives. This is the report from the workshop. The project promotes the application of the principles of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (the SSF Guidelines) in FAO member countries and regions. The project end date was originally in December 2019 but was extended for another year into 2020 to focus on the issue of empowering women in fisheries for sustainable food systems. Accordingly, the project will support women in small-scale fisheries, particularly in the postharvest sector, with a view to improving food security and nutrition and promoting gender equality. In 2020, related activities will begin in Ghana, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The project will also support sharing lessons learned and good practices, and it will help to strengthen institutional structures at the regional and global levels.
The Thirty-second Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) was held in Rome, Italy, from 11 to 15 July 2016. This is a report of the Session reflecting the discussions which took place and containing all recommendations and decisions taken by the Committee. A synopsis of the outcome of the Session is presented in the abstract and all supplementary information is included in the appendixes.
This report presents the outcomes and recommendations of Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) Working Group on Aquaculture (WGA) at its ninth meeting. RECOFI is an Article XIV Body of the FAO Constitution, and the WGA is tasked with supporting the programme of work related to aquaculture. The outcomes contained in this report were recommended to RECOFI for endorsement and are a matter of record for the Commission. RECOFI's mandate, and specifically those of the WGFM contribute to serving FAO's better production, specifically BP2: Blue Transformation. Notably, the meeting endorsed a programme of work on aquaculture for RECOFI.
The Expert Consultation was convened by FAO in order to elaborate a framework for technical guidelines on the economic, social and institutional considerations (e.g. information processes and approaches) needed in the application of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAF). The Expert Consultation provided specific guidance for the finalization of a technical paper based on a revision and elaboration of the background document presented and produced a detailed outline for the preparation of new technical guidelines. The Expert Consultation also noted the need to clearly explain the current interpretation of the term EAF, expressing the ideas of a holistic, participatory and integrated approach to fisheries management. The Expert Consultation recognized that the move towards EAF would, in many instances, be accomplished on an incremental and adaptive management basis in view of each specific context being addressed.
This document contains the report of the first meeting of the Strategy ad hoc Working Group (SWG) established by the Parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement or the PSMA), held at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, from 3 to 7 April 2023. It was attended by 55 Parties to the Agreement, and by observers from 23 States, 11 intergovernmental, 5 international non-governmental organizations and one specialized agency from the United Nations (UN). In line with its Terms of Reference adopted by the Parties, the SWG discussed aspects to improve the effectiveness of the PSMA, namely in relation to increasing adherence to the Agreement, the fulfilment of Parties’ responsibilities, mechanisms for the monitoring, review and assessment of the implementation of the Agreement, as well as resources required for the sustainable functioning of the Agreement. On the basis of the discussions and on the consolidated recommendations emanating from the four PSMA regional coordination meetings convened in 2022, the SWG developed a draft Strategy to Improve the Effectiveness of the PSMA and agreed to put it forward for consideration at the Fourth Meeting of Parties (MoP4).
In recent years, the demand for reliable data and reporting on aquaculture has greatly increased, driven not only by the need to formulate and monitor sound policies and development plans, but also by the reporting requirements of international agreements and by increasing public demand for transparency and accountability. This document sets out the findings of a FAO expert consultation, held in January 2004, to discuss relevant issues including approval of a draft strategy and outline plan for improving information on status and trends of aquaculture.
The Parties discussed the results of the questionnaire for the review and assessment of the effectiveness of the PSMA, agreeing that the questionnaire was a useful tool, whilst noting the need for further improvements. The Parties tasked the FAO to review the questionnaire, and agreed that the questionnaire would be completed every four years. Parties noted that whilst progress has been made in effectively using the PSMA to combat IUU fishing, a number of challenges remain. Parties welcomed the useful information provided by Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs) related to progress made in the implementation of the PSMA, and agreed that a standardized questionnaire for RFBs is needed. Parties tasked FAO to develop a first draft of this questionnaire. The Parties welcomed the prototype of the global information exchange system (GIES) and agreed that it should enter a pilot phase. They also reiterated the importance of the availability of information related to the national contact points for the PSMA. The Parties expressed the importance of receiving support on the implementation of effective monitoring, control and surveillance, enforcement and the implementation of GIES. The Secretariat announced the launch of the Global Capacity Development Portal. The Parties requested that discussions around developing a strategy to improve the effectiveness of the PSMA be deferred to an ad hoc working group, and approved the terms of reference of the PSMA Strategy Ad Hoc Working Group.
Small-scale fisheries (SSF) play an important role in food security and poverty reduction. However, this role is not always recognized and many SSF communities remain marginalized, both with regard to resource management and from a broader social and economic perspective. The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) are the first international instrument dedicated entirely to the immensely important small-scale fisheries sector. The project “Enhancing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihoods through better policies, strategies and initiatives” is part of the FAO Umbrella Programme for the promotion and application of the SSF Guidelines. The evaluation of this project provides important lessons and recommendations that will inform the formulation and implementation of related on-going projects under the Umbrella Programme, for enhanced promotion and application of the SSF Guidelines. The evaluation found that the project has succeeded in firmly anchoring SSF considerations in the global fisheries policy and research agendas, and in increasing momentum in regional and national awareness of, and commitment to, the SSF Guidelines. The project has allowed a process of consolidation of the trajectory of change initiated with the adoption of the SSF Guidelines, but more time is needed for benefits to trickle to lower levels of governance and to SSF communities themselves.
The Expert Consultation on Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment was held virtually from 11 to 15 October and reconvened on 3 November 2021 to adopt this report. FAO has undertaken an in-depth global study on transshipment which confirmed that a lack of regulation, monitoring and control increases the risk of fish caught through illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing entering the seafood supply chain, undermining sustainable and socially responsible fisheries. The study was published in 2020 and a summary of the findings was presented to the Thirty-fourth Session of COFI in February 2021. COFI welcomed the study and called upon FAO to proceed with developing draft voluntary guidelines for the regulation, monitoring and control of transshipment. It also called upon FAO to convene an Expert Consultation to review the preliminary draft to be prepared by the FAO Secretariat. On the basis of that initial draft, the Expert Consultation elaborated a draft of the voluntary guidelines for transshipment that will be submitted for consideration and review by a Technical Consultation on Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment to be held from 7 to 11 March 2022.
Conclusions of the 25th session of the Committee included: the need for a strategy to improve information on capture fisheries; reaffirmation of the need for global implementation of measures against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; the importance of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and its related International Plans of Action (IPOAs) in promoting long-term sustainable development of fisheries; and identification of key priority work areas for 2004-05.
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