Report of the twenty-eighth session of the
COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
Rome, 2–6 March 2009

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FAO.
Report of the twenty-eighth session of the Committee on Fisheries. Rome, 2–6 March 2009.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report. No. 902. Rome, FAO. 2009. 64p.

ABSTRACT

The twenty-eighth session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) was held in Rome, Italy, from 2 to 6 March 2009. The Committee reviewed the issues of an international character and the FAO programme in fisheries and aquaculture and their implementation. As part of the further work to facilitate and ensure the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and its International Plans of Action (IPOAs), COFI encouraged the Secretariat to proceed with the publication of the best practices technical guidelines for the IPOA-Seabirds. The Committee supported the development of guidelines on best practices for safety at sea. It agreed on the fundamental importance of capacity building to assist developing countries implement the Code. FAO. The Committee agreed that additional work should be carried out in relation to the Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fish Products from Inland Capture Fisheries. COFI recommended that FAO continue to provide technical advice to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in relation to listing proposals for commercially exploited aquatic species, and technical input to the fisheries subsidies negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO). COFI reaffirmed its trust in FAO to play a coordinating role in advancing the global aquaculture agenda and recognized the need for further support to the Special Programme for Aquaculture Development in Africa (SPADA). It was noted that FAO should continue to play a leading role in relation to assistance for the implementation of the International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-sea Fisheries in the High Seas with regard to the management of fisheries resources exploited through deep-sea fishing. COFI reaffirmed that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing remained one of the principal threats to sustainable fisheries and highlighted the importance of the negotiation of a draft legally-binding instrument on port State measures. The Committee welcomed the outcome of the 2008 Global Conference on Small-scale Fisheries and focused on the various policies, strategies, legal and social measures taken by Members to secure sustainable livelihoods in marine and inland small-scale fisheries. Concerning FAO’s programme of work in fisheries and aquaculture, COFI took note of the Immediate Plan of Action (IPA) for FAO Renewal (2009–10) and supported its strengthened role in providing advice on priorities. In considering the draft results framework for the Strategic Objective on “Sustainable Management and Use of Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources”, COFI welcomed the shift of the focus of the Organization’s work from outputs to outcomes, and supported the process of implementation of the IPA. The Committee reiterated the vital importance of prioritization among the different activities related to these Organizational Results, and agreed to include a specific reference to small-scale fisheries in the six Organizational Results, as appropriate.