11 July 2016: The 32nd session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) commenced in Rome, Italy, with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva noting that the entry into force of FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) “marks the dawn of a new era in the effort to combat illegal fishing.”

The PSMA entered into force in June 2016 with over 30 nations and the European Union (EU) acceding to the treaty and additional countries initiating the accession process. In addition to celebrating the PSMA, FAO also released its annual ‘State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture,’ emphasizing that nearly one-third of commercial fish stocks are overharvested at biologically unsustainable levels.

Da Silva called for rapid action to ensure effective implementation of the PSMA, saying FAO will deliver logistical, legislative and legal support to countries, with a focus on those countries most in need, such as small island developing States (SIDS) that face capacity and resources constraints. da Silva informed that FAO has set up an inter-regional Technical Cooperation Programme and a Global Capacity Development Organization to support countries in their efforts to translate the agreement into practice.

Also on support for the PSMA’s implementation, FAO and the Common Oceans Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) Tuna Project released ‘Implementation of Port State Measures.’ The report provides legislative templates for port States and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) to assist them in implementing the agreement and explains the development and use of port State measures. The publication also examines port State conservation and management measures (CMMs) among the five tuna-RFMOs and five selected RFMOs, among other issues. The legislative template has been used at the national and regional levels in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific, according to the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project.

The ‘State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture’ finds that the status of the world’s marine resources have not improved, with the share of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels decreasing from 90% in 1974 to 68.6% in 2013. The report describes the state of large Mediterranean and Black Sea fish stocks as “alarming,” especially for hake, millet, sole and sea breams. In the Eastern Mediterranean, the report cautions that climate change may facilitate expansion of invasive fish species.

The report highlights progress in some areas, such as the implementation of management regulations and improvements in the quality and reliability of data collection, including on annual landing figures. In the Northwest Atlantic, halibut, flounder and haddock species are showing signs of recovery.

Growth in aquaculture increased to 73.8 million tonnes in 2014, or 20 kilograms of per capita fish consumption, according to the report. It finds that aquaculture is influencing the types of fish consumed, with salmon and trout becoming the single largest commodity as a share of world trade in value terms. The report also documents the role of fish in providing protein, vitamins and minerals for human consumption.

“The report shows that capture fisheries can be managed sustainably while also pointing to the enormous and growing potential of aquaculture to boost human nutrition and support livelihoods with productive jobs,” FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said. He underscored the contribution of fisheries to SDG 2 (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture) and SDG 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources) as well as SDGs and targets related to employment and climate change.

COFI meets biennially to review FAO’s programme of work in fisheries and aquaculture and to conduct periodic reviews of fishery and aquaculture problems, with the aim of identifying possible solutions and areas for action. COFI is convening at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, from 11 to 15 July. [UN Press Release] [FAO Press Release on PSMA] [FAO Press Release on Opening of COFI] [FAO PSMA Website] [State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture: Contributing to Food Security for All] [Implementation of Port State Measures] [COFI Website]