Major fisheries meeting: time for action – WWF

The Committee constitutes the only global inter-governmental forum where major international fisheries and aquaculture problems and issues are examined and recommendations addressed to governments, regional fishery bodies, NGOs, fishworkers, FAO and the international community.

What WWF wants

According to WWF, at COFI 2007, governments need to galvanise themselves into action on both their legally binding obligations and their voluntary commitments. The status of global fish stocks, associated species and reliant human communities demands it. Most importantly, the credibility of the commitments under the UN Fish Stock Agreement to regional management hangs in the balance as governments fail to control their fishers and fishing vessels and to make regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) meet international expectations.

While there have been encouraging signs of concerned governments committed to getting some key actions happening - such as the recommendations of the report of the Ministerially-led Task Force on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) Fishing on the High Seas – dedicated resources are needed to facilitate immediate action to implement proposals and address key problems.

The report

On March 5th, the FAO will release its 2007 edition of “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA).” Updating their 2004 report - http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/007/y5600e/y5600e00.htm - the 2007 edition examines the state of world fisheries and aquaculture, and provides an overview of developments followed by a review of issues confronting fishers and fish farmers. The report concludes with some thoughts on the future of fisheries and aquaculture, from both short-term and longer-term perspectives.