Year of publication 2014

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Pages 60 p.

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Publisher FAO ;

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Product type Meeting

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Edition 1

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Synopsis (short abstract) The Global Record is one of the latest international initiatives initially requested by Ministers and then taken on by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) as a necessary, urgent, cost-efficient and effective global tool (programme) to fight IUU fishing. Its aim is to increase transparency and traceability of vessels and their activities as well as fish products ´from the net to the plate´, through information exchange and dissemination of that information in a simple and neutral manner. It pre sents strong synergies with other global tools to fight IUU fishing like the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) and the Voluntary Guidelines for Flag State Performance (VG-FSP) as well as with market-related measures, thus making it more difficult for illegal perpetrators to go undetected. In implementing such a programme, a flexible, phased and collaborative approach is essential for it to succeed in its endeavours. Through planning the first steps and analysing the possibilities ahead, FAO p roposes a way forward to advance this initiative in a timely, responsive and cost-effective manner, whilst paying due attention to the special needs of developing countries to ensure widespread participation and generate a real impact in the fight against IUU fishing. This is particularly necessary in the current global situation of scarcity of resources to support long-term programmes at the global level, where cost-effectiveness and collaboration have to be at the forefront of any such underta king. The Global Record programme is an integration of three components: system development, capacity development and awareness raising. The strategy detailed in this document encompasses them all, but gives priority to the design, development and implementation of the system in order to make the Global Record operational in the shortest timeframe possible. In this regard, a five year financial proposal is put forward in Appendix 4. Several major conclusions are drawn up, including the use of th e IMO number as the UVI for Phase 1, the need for guidance and commitment of Member States to collaborate. The strategy proposed in this document on the way forward is open for guidance from COFI 31.

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Meeting symbol COFI/2014/SBD.2

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Meeting Session Number Sess. 31

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Language English

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Also available in:

• French
• Spanish

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