No Thumbnail Available

COFI Report of the Twenty-Third Session of the Committee on Fisheries. Rome, Italy, 15-19 February 1999.

Year of publication 1999

Pages 70

Author Twenty-third Session of the Committee on Fisheries. ;Fishery and Aquaculture Economics and Policy Division

Product type Book (series)

Series title FAO Fisheries Report

Series number 0429-9337 - R595

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The twenty-third session of the Committee on Fisheries was held from 15 to 19 February 1999. The Committee stressed the increasingly important role of inland capture fisheries and aquaculture in fish production and human nutrition. In this regard, it emphasized the benefits of integrated resources management, the need to combat adverse impacts on the environment and for enhanced cooperation between fishers, government agencies and other stakeholders. It discussed experiences in implementing the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and, while expressing its appreciation for FAO's efforts to promote the application of the Code, recognized that further assistance would be required if meaningful progress was to be made. Commenting favourably on FAO's implementation of the Fisheries Programme over 1996-98, the Committee strongly recommended that Major Programme 2.3 (Fisheries) should be allocated a substantially increased share of the Organisation's Regular Programme resources. The Com mittee adopted International Plans for the Management of Fishing Capacity, for the Management and Conservation of Sharks and for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries. It expressed its support for the FAO Programme of Fisheries Assistance for Small Island States but was concerned at the limited progress achieved in securing funding for the Programme. The Committee approved the report of the Sixth Session of its Sub-Committee on Fish Trade and accepted the invitation to hold the Sub-Committee's next session in Bremen, Germany, in the year 2000. The Committee received the report on the Feasibility of Developing Non-Discriminatory Technical Guidelines for Eco-Labelling of Products from Marine Capture Fisheries held in Rome in October 1998. It noted that any eco-labelling scheme must be, inter alia, transparent, voluntary, non-discriminatory and not be an obstacle to trade but, in the course of lengthy discussions, was unable to reach consensus on FAO's future work on technical aspects of eco-labelling. The Committee considered Version 2.0 of FAO's Strategic Framework (2000-2015) to be a substantial improvement over Version 1.0 but suggested that Version 3.0 should be more concise and less descriptive, with paramount attention given to the requirements of the membership, the Organization's greatest strengths and balance between normative and field activities. Endorsing the Medium-term Perspectives for FAO's Fisheries Programme, the Committee placed high prio rity on further work in support of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, on implementing the three International Plans of Actions adopted at the session and on activities to support sustainable aquaculture, including the establishment of a COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture. The Committee welcomed the steps taken and envisaged to strengthen the functions and responsibilities of FAO regional fishery bodies and their cooperation with Non-FAO regional fishery bodies.

Statutory body / Meeting title COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture

Cite this content as:

FAO. Report of the Twenty-third Session of the Committee on Fisheries. Rome, Italy, 15-19 February 1999. FAO Fisheries Report. No. 595. Rome, FAO. 1999. 70p.

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean – Report of the twenty-third session of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, 21–24 June 2022 2022
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries (SAC) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) held its twenty-third session in hybrid modality, from 21 to 24 June 2022. The Committee reviewed the work carried out during the 2021–2022 intersession and endorsed the MedSea4Fish guiding document, which provides an implementation framework following the establishment of the programme at the forty-fourth session of the GFCM (online, November 2021). The Committee provided advice on the status of priority stocks and ecosystems and on potential management measures addressing key fisheries and vulnerable species in the Mediterranean, including for European eel and red coral. In line with the subregional approach, the Committee formulated advice focusing on: i) common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) and blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) fisheries in the western Mediterranean; ii) small pelagic and bottom trawl fisheries exploiting demersal stocks, particularly European hake (Merluccius merluccius) and deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris), in the central Mediterranean; iii) deep-water red shrimp, giant red shrimp and blue and red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus) fisheries in the eastern-central Mediterranean, including their interactions with vulnerable megafauna; iv) non-indigenous species in the eastern Mediterranean, and v) small pelagic and demersal fisheries in the Adriatic. The Committee also agreed on the technical soundness of a proposal for the establishment of a fisheries restricted area (FRA) in the Cabliers Coral Mound, reviewed and endorsed a proposal for a large scale multiannual pilot study on trawl selectivity in the Strait of Sicily and reviewed the updated proposal from Libya to divide the Libyan coast (geographical subarea 21) into three marine subareas, to be submitted to the Commission. At the regional level, the Committee provided advice on the following: i) minimum conservation reference size for GFCM priority species; ii) spatial distribution of fishing effort, especially bottom trawl fisheries, to understand the spatial dynamics of specific fisheries and inform spatial management measures, including vulnerable marine ecosystems and other effective area-based conservation measures; and iii) ensuring and assessing the effectiveness of FRAs and establishing minimal standards for the monitoring of FRAs. With regard to recreational and small-scale fisheries, the Committee endorsed lists of species of importance and expressed support for a dedicated research programme for recreational fisheries.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    COFI 24/REP - Report of the twenty-fourth session of the Committee on Fisheries. Rome, 26 February-2 March 2001. 2001
    Also available in:
    The Twenty-fourth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) was held in Rome, Italy, from 26 February to 2 March 2001. The Committee agreed to establish a Sub-Committee on Aquaculture and adopted the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. It agreed that future reporting on the implementation of the Code of Conduct and related IPOAs should be based on in-depth analysis of problems associated with their efficient implemen tation, using case studies. COFI welcomed the Medium-Term Plan for Fisheries, identified the expected results of the Programme Committee priority areas of work for the Fisheries Department during the biennium 2002-2003, and areas for future work by its Sub-Committee on Fish Trade.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    GFCM - Report of the twenty-ninth session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. Rome, Italy, 21–25 February 2005. 2005
    Also available in:
     Show more
    The twenty-ninth session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) was attended by delegates from all (twenty-four) Members of the Commission. The Commission decided that the new headquarters of GFCM will be in Palazzo Blumenstihl, Rome, Italy. The Commission agreed that Members would exceptionally participate in the ballots for the selection of the Executive Secretary, provided that they contribute their share to the GFCM autonomous budget prior to the end of 2005. Through interviews and secret ballots, the Commission selected its Executive Secretary. It also agreed on the mandate and on the procedure for the selection of the Deputy Executive Secretary. The Commission established formally the Coordinating Meeting of the Sub- Committees (CMSC) as a subsidiary body of Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), as well as a Permanent Working Group on Stock Assessment Methodologies. It favoured the strengthening of the mandate of the Joint GFCM/I CCAT Working Group on Large Pelagics and decided to re-establish the Network on Environment and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean (EAM) in support to the Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ). The Commission decided to review selected provisions of its Rules of Procedure at the next Plenary session. The Commission adopted binding Recommendations GFCM/2005/1 and GFCM/2005/2, respectively on “The management of certain fisheries exploiting demersal and deepwater species”, and on “The establishm ent of a record of fishing vessels over 15 metres authorized to operate in the GFCM area” as well as six ICCAT Recommendations and “General Guidelines for a GFCM Control Scheme”. The Commission also urged members to develop and adopt National Plans of Action on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) and invited the MedFisis regional project to give priority to establishing the GFCM vessel register (white list).
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.