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COFI - Report of the Twenty-second Session of the Committee on Fisheries. Rome, 17-20 March 1997.

Year of publication 1997

Pages 32

Author twenty-second session of the Committee on Fisheries.;Fishery and Aquaculture Economics and Policy Division

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 9251040281

Series title FAO Fisheries Report

Series number 0429-9337 - R562

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The Twenty-second Session of the Committee on Fisheries was held from 17 to 20 March 1997. The Committee endorsed the Kyoto Declaration and Plan of Action on the understanding that its provisions are without prejudice to the rights and obligations of States under international law. Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and the USA reconfirmed their interpretation that the provisions of the Kyoto Declaration and Plan of Action would not affect the competency of, or change the current status in, other international organizations, including the International Whaling Commission. The Committee urged that the issues of excessive fishing capacity and fishing effort leading to overfishing should be given special consideration by FAO and Member Countries. The Committee reaffirmed that it was the mandate of FAO and of regional fishery bodies to take responsibility for collecting data, formulating research needs and recommending management options. The Committee emphasized the importance of the Code in the sustainable management and development of fisheries and urged FAO, other organizations and donors to provide assistance to attain the objectives of the Code at national, regional and sub-regional levels. The Committee agreed that a progress report on implementation of the Code should be presented every two years which would include information on FAO activities, proposed guidelines to implement the Code and on inter-regional programmes, as well as application at national level. Members wi ll provide information on national implementation using a questionnaire to be designed by the Secretariat. The Committee strongly endorsed the need for effective regional fishery organizations and arrangements in the framework of the Code of Conduct if fish stocks were to be managed in a sustainable and responsible manner. It agreed that FAO regional fishery bodies should be reviewed and evaluated in depth by their members on a case by case basis, taking full account of regional and membership d ifferences, in determining what measures might be taken to facilitate the strengthening of each body as appropriate and to report at the Twenty-third Session of COFI. The need for close coordination among FAO and non-FAO regional fishery bodies and, as appropriate, with other organizations such as the World Bank and active fishery projects was also stressed. It approved the report of the Fifth Session of its Sub-Committee on Fish Trade and accepted the invitation to hold the Sixth Session of the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade in conjunction with the seafood exhibition "Fisch '98" in Bremen, Germany. The Committee endorsed the three broad fisheries programme objectives for the medium-term: increased contribution to world food supplies and food security, sustainable and responsible management, and global monitoring and strategic analysis. It acknowledged that, in setting priorities for the fisheries programmes, there should be a balance between the needs of developing and developed countrie s and between normative and operational activities, and that the three medium-term objectives are closely interlinked. The Committee gave high priority to implementation of the Code of Conduct, including preparation of technical guidelines and practical initiatives in fisheries management and aquaculture, and strengthening the role of regional fisheries bodies. Finally, the Committee recalled the increasing contribution played by aquaculture and artisanal fisheries to fish production, food secur ity, employment and income of rural population and called for priority to be given to the sustainable development of environmentally sound aquaculture and artisanal fisheries in inland, continental and coastal waters.

Statutory body / Meeting title COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture

Cite this content as:

FAO Report of the twenty-second session of the Committee on Fisheries. Rome, 17-20 March 1997. FAO Fisheries Report. No. 562. Rome, FAO. 1997. 32p.

Language English

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