Merete TandstadFAO Fisheries and Aquaculture

DepartmentRome, Italy

FAO in the framework of Integrated Regional Ocean Policy

CCPS CPPS Workshop on Integrated Regional Oceanic PolicyBogota, Colombia, 28 to 30 October, 2015

Outline

1. FAO’s Fishery and Aquaculture Department and the importance of Fish and Fisheries

2. Fisheries instruments and processes

3. The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries- EAF

4. Fisheries Management and Regional Fishery Bodies

5. Concluding remarks

FAO’s Fishery and Aquaculture Department and the importance of Fish and Fisheries

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Vision: A world in which responsible and sustainable use of fisheries and aquaculture resources makes an appreciable contribution to human well-being, food security and poverty alleviation.

Mission: To strengthen global governance and the managerial and technical capacities of members and to lead consensus-building towards improved conservation and utilization of aquatic resources.

FISH AS FOOD Important source of animal

protein Fish provides significant

micro-nutrients, minerals, and essential fatty acids

A critical safety net for vulnerable households

Socio economic importance of fish and seafood

Fish is among the most traded food commodities worldwide- worth almost US$130 mill (2012)

Developing economies account for approximately 54% world exports by value

People involved in fisheries and aquaculture: 58.3 mill (2012)

Account for 10-12% livelihoods world population

Fishery is the last major food-producing sector directly harvesting natural resources

The fishery sector is dependent on healthy aquatic ecosystems

Fisheries Instruments and Processes

Binding Legal Instruments

The 1995 United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement

The 1993 FAO Compliance Agreement

2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures

CBD, CITES, CMS..

UNCLOS

Non-binding instrumentsCODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES

International Plan’s of Action IPOAs

Seabirds Sharks IUU Fishing

FAO InternationalGuidelines

Capacity

FAO Technical Guidelines

UNGA resolutions, CBD guidelines, etc.

Fisheries Management and the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries

Fisheries Management

The integrated process of information gathering, analysis, planning, consultation, decision-making, allocation of resources and formulation and implementation, with enforcement as necessary, of regulations or rules which govern fisheries activities in order to ensure the continued productivity of the resources and the accomplishment

of other fishery objectives

WHAT IS EAF?

The main purpose of the EAF is to plan, develop and manage fisheries in a manner that addresses the multiple needs and desires of societies, without jeopardizing the options for future generations to benefit from the full range of goods and services provided by marine ecosystems.

Key features of the EAF principles in practice

Apply the precautionary approach

Use best available knowledge

Acknowledge multiple objectives and values of ecosystem services

Embrace adaptive management

Broaden stakeholder participation

Understand and use full suite of management measures

Promote sectoral integration and interdisciplinarity

The three pillars of EAF

Fishery

Ability to Achieve

Retained

Non Retained

GeneralEcosystem

Community

National

Governance

External drivers

EcologicalWellbeing

Human Wellbeing

Types of Issues

16

MANAGE - These come under your direct legislative responsibility. You can generate regulations/management plans etc to deal with these issues. The agency must take full responsibility for these issues

INFLUENCE - These issues are not under your legislative responsibility so you cannot manage them, but as they are under other legislative responsibility (e.g. another agency) you can influence them

REACT TO - These issues are generated by external environment - you cannot manage or influence them. You need to be ready to deal with these issues (e.g. natural changes in the oceanography, changes in currency exchange, market prices, fuel prices) as much as possible

EAF as a sectoral approach

Harmonizes the fishery sector policy with national/regional sustainability goals and intentions

Implements the above policies in fisheries

Makes sure required links are made with other sectors, where relevant

Examples: EAF, EBFM

(e.g.EBM,, LMEs, and others)

• Develops integrated plans for a given region/ecosystem

• Sets common conservation and development objectives

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries and to Aquaculture

Ecosystem Approach to Tourism

Ecosystem Approach to energy and oil

OTHERS • Each sector is managed in a way that is consistent with overall principles and broad objectives set for the given region

SectoralMulti-(cross-)sectoral

Fisheries Management and Regional Fishery Bodies

Regional Fishery Bodies

RFBs - Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs) are a mechanism through which States or organizations that are parties to an international fishery agreement or ("agreement" is fundamental, and different from arrangement) arrangement work together towards the conservation, management and/or development of fisheries.– Some RFBs have an advisory mandate, and provide advice,

decisions or coordinating mechanisms that are not binding on their members.

– RFMOs – These are RFBs have a management mandate. They adopt fisheries conservation and management measures that are binding on their members.

RFMOs

Deep-sea RFMOs and Arrangements

Specific Species RFMOs and Arrangements

Advisory RFBs

Advisory RFBs and Arrangements

FAO Article VI & XIV Bodies

Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs)

Commission

Scientific committee

Secretariat

RFMO Competence

Area

Conservation and

management measures

Compliance committee

FAO and RFBs FAO has committed to:

– provide its technical and administrative support to its own RFB to strengthening their effectiveness

– promote collaboration and consultation among all RFB or arrangements on matters of common concern

Through:– facilitating meetings of RFB; implementation by RFBs of sustainable

policies and practices and the effective implementation of the post-UNCED instruments (including cooperation between RFB and FAO programmes) issues relating to reporting on status and trends of fisheries, reporting to, and liaising with, the United Nations and other international and regional organizations regarding collecting and disseminating information

•FAO is also involved in the process of establishing new RFB

Concluding remarks

FAO promotes the implementation of good governance, collaboration and sustainable management and use at different levels:– Development of global normative and policy guidance

– Support integration and implementation of global normative and policy documents into national and regional processes including capacity building

– Promote holistic, integrative and participatory approaches and processes (e.g. EAF)

– Support mandated organizations such as RFBs to adopt, integrate and implement best practice approaches and measures including global normative and policy frameworks

– Provides global neutral forum and facilitate discussion between countries and relevant stakeholders and between fisheries and other sectors at different scales on cross cutting issues