A global perspective on bottom fisheries in the high seas: challenges, opportunities and best practices

Merete Tandstad FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

FISH AS FOOD

Important source of animal protein

Fish provides significant micro-nutrients, minerals, and essential fatty acids

SOCIO ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF FISH AND SEAFOOD

Importance of Fish as contributor to economy and employment

Fish is among the most traded food commodities worldwide.

The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries

Widening scope of fisheries management

Fishery

Ability to Achieve

Retained

Non retained

General ecosystem

Community

National

Governance

External drivers

Ecological Wellbeing

Human Wellbeing

Bottom Fisheries in the high seas

• Not uniform and differ with respect to both main species and habitat, as well as gears used

• Estimated total catch in 2014 of less than 150 000 tonnes • 75% of High Seas bottom catches are continental-shelf and/or upper

slope. • Remaining 25% below 400 m, on various bottom structures including

seamounts

Region Main species Estimated catch 2014 (tonnes)

NE Atlantic: round nose grenadier, rough head grenadier, black scabbard fish, ling, haddock, blue ling, orange roughy, Snow crab, cod, Greenland halibut

10,941

NW Atlantic: Redfish, cod, Greenland halibut, snow crab, thorny skate, yellowtail flounder, American plaice, roughhead grenadier, witch flunder, Atlantic halibut, shrimp, haddock, white hake, anglerfish , round nose grenadier

56,407

SE Atlantic

red crab, toothfish, other bycatch 211

Indian Ocean Orange roughy, dogfish, Lethrinid emperors (Sala de Malha), Lutjanid snappers (Sala de Malha), Mora moro, traces of others

about 7,000

North Pacific: Alfonsino, armourhead, mirror dory, oreo, rockfishes, and Sablefish 5,267

South Pacific: Mostly orange roughy 1,428

Southern Oceans Antarctic toothfish, Patagonian toothfish, grenadiers 3,941

2004

2006

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

DSF PREP

UNGA 59/25

FAO DSF

GUIDE-LINES

UNGA WS 61/105 &

64/72

UNGA 61/105

UNGA 64/72

UNGA 66/68

UNGA 68/71

UNGA 69/109

UNGA 70/75

UNGA WS 64/72 &

66/68

FAO DSF Programme

IMPLEMENTATION OF GUIDANCE BY DEEP SEA RFMOs and States

VME DB Launch Busan

Changes in the Regional Bodies controlling High Seas Bottom Fishing

UNGA Aug 2016

Note: In the Central Atlantic two RFBs with advisory mandates exist. WECAFC have just started to process of becoming a management body

77% of the bottom fisheries in the ABNJ is managed by an RFMO or other multilateral body

Changes to the management of High Seas Bottom Fishing

UNGA Aug 2016

Note: SIOFA have just started the process of developing bottom fishing measures. In the interim period, management is undertaken by Contracting Parties via State measures,

VME related actions and measures

• Fished areas • VME indicators • VME thresholds • VME Encounter protocol • Exploratory fishing protocol • Impact assessments • SAIs • VME Closures • Observers • Identification guides

Assessment and management of fish stocks to provide advice on TACs, effort level, measures for bycatch, and technical measures etc

Widened scope of issues addressed in fisheries management by RFMOs

GEF-funded ABNJ Deep Seas project FAO Deep-sea Fisheries Programme

VME

Database Project (FRA)

Sust. FI - Deep-sea Project (NOR)

VME and RFMO Deep-sea Project (JPN)

ABNJ “Common Oceans”

Programme

SponGES (EU Horizon 20-20)

Executing Agencies

Deep Seas Project: partners

Funding: US$ 8 million from GEF for 5 years Co-funding estimate US$ 79 million

Nairobi Convention

Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS) North East Atlantic Fisheries

Commission (NEAFC)

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO)

Southern Indian Ocean Deepwater Fishers Association (SIODFA)

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO)

General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) NPFC

Duke University

International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA)

Sealord Group

Partners

GRID-Arendal

Global Oceans Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI)

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Documenting progress made

• Processes and actions taken to address SAIs on VMEs are documented by RFMOs and compiled in the global VME database and in the upcoming report on VME processes and practices.

• Approach taken not always the same in each region

DSF & VMEs WECAFC Barbados, 2014

VMEs SEAFO Namibia, 2013

DSF & VMEs GFCM Italy, 2016

VMEs Indian Ocean Mauritius, 2012

VMEs NPFC Japan, 2014

DSF & VMEs CECAF 2016

Raise awareness on and exchange of experience on addressing VME related issues

ISSUES WITH IMPLEMENTATION: ENCOUNTER PROTOCOLS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

• In May 2015, FAO held a combined workshop on encounter

protocols and impact assessments in the context of deepsea bottom fisheries in the ABNJ, in collaboration with IMR

• Participants: scientists, the fishing industry, managers, and NGOs contributed regional knowledge and lessons learned on the application of encounter protocols and impact assessments from their perspectives and experiences

• Outputs: 8 observations on encounter protocls and 8 on impact assessments:

Improving information and knowledge on fisheries, fisheries related instruments, and species

• Sharing information on existing instruments of relevance for deep-sea fisheries

• Exchange of experience and knowledge from scientific community

• Partnerships with industry to facilitate reporting

• Tools for improved identification and reporting of vulnerable species

• Encourage data collection and facilitate research

Future considerations

• Continue efforts to support states and RFMOs to implement the suite of measures developed

• Compile information on these fisheries and share best practice • Maintain and expand Partnerships • Continued engagement with fishing industry for improved reporting and

data collection • Support exploration of alternative methods for assessments using new

technology and methods for data limited stocks • Issues in Implementation

• Organize Busan II meeting on looking at challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of the DSF Guidelines and UNGA Resolutions

Thank you