APFIC REGIONAL CONSULTATIVE WORKSHOP

RAP PUBLICATION 2007/18

APFIC REGIONAL CONSULTATIVE WORKSHOP

MANAGING FISHING CAPACITY AND ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING IN ASIA

Phuket, Thailand, 13–15 June 2007

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FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Bangkok, 2007

The designation and presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries.

© FAO 2007

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for sale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to the Senior Fishery Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Athit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.

For copies write to:

The Senior Fishery Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Athit Road
Bangkok 10200
THAILAND
Tel: (+66) 2 697 4000
Fax: (+66) 2 697 4445
E-mail: [email protected]

FOREWORD

This workshop was held to meet the recommendation of the 29th Session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) to assist member countries improve the management of their fishing capacity in the region, including combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The overall aim of the workshop was to raise awareness of and promote actions towards achieving one of the most fundamental tenets of fishing – ensuring that fishing efforts are commensurate with the productive capacity of the fishery resource and their sustainable utilization (FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries).

At the global level, the call for States to reduce fishing capacity and combat IUU fishing is very loud and clear. Many reports have argued that existing global capacity is far greater than what is necessary to sustainably harvest the world’s fishery resources. This has been manifested through FAO members drafting and agreeing on an International Plan of Actions for the Management of Fishing Capacity and to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.

With a few exceptions, however, the responses at the national level have been much weaker, especially in Asian countries. One major dilemma is that if we limit access to fisheries resources we run the risk of cutting off an important source of livelihoods for poor communities, while if we keep the commons open, the resources will sooner or later be fished down (also impacting very negatively on poor communities in the longer term). Most fisheries in the region, therefore, are still open access in nature implying that capacity is not being managed and IUU fishing is still rampant, with most countries stating that they do not have the resources or capacity to do anything about it.

Through this workshop it is hoped that a collective commitment and initiative to assist countries improve their management of fishing capacity and IUU fishing can be made, and that the agreed "call for action" be implemented.

He Changchui
Assistant Director-General and
Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific