In a groundbreaking milestone for global fisheries management, the COFI Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management has gathered for an inaugural meeting to establish a comprehensive plan for effectively utilising fisheries resources. The meeting is underway until the 18th of January. It is aimed to address critical aspects such as best practices, enhanced methodologies for estimating marine fish stocks, and the imperative fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. This significant event also emphasised the promotion of adaptive responses to the climate crisis and mainstreaming biodiversity, focusing on small-scale fisheries.
With over 500 million people globally depending on fisheries for their livelihoods, the meeting acknowledged the vital role of this sector in global food security and nutrition. The sub-committee spotlighted the challenges of unsustainable fish stocks, which have been rising since the 1970s, underscoring the urgency for effective global fisheries management.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasised the pivotal role of the Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management in addressing complex global issues. The committee aims to identify and discuss significant trends and challenges in fisheries management, providing recommendations to the Committee on Fisheries. These recommendations are crucial for advancing the implementation of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and aligning with FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31, fostering better production, nutrition, environment, and overall well-being.
Donyu highlighted the sub-committee's integral role in guiding FAO’s Blue Transformation roadmap, focusing on managing global fisheries resources efficiently and effectively across lakes, rivers, and seas.
During the meeting, members shared insights and strategies to enhance fisheries management, emphasising ecological, social, economic, nutritional, and gender objectives. The discussion honed in on improving practices in small-scale fisheries, fostering a holistic approach to sustainable management.
Key topics on the agenda included assessing the impact of IUU fishing, integrating climate resilience into fisheries management, and incorporating biodiversity considerations within the context of global frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The session also reviewed methodological updates to FAO’s State of Stocks Index (SoSI), enhancing transparency, geographical coverage, and measurement accuracy. These updates align with reporting initiatives and requirements, providing better statistics for informed decision-making.
As a significant addition to COFI, creating the Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management underscores a dedicated focus on sustainable fisheries management, complementing existing aquaculture and fish trade sub-committees. This development represents a pivotal step in the collective effort to ensure the global fisheries sector's environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
