13 July 2012: Participants at the 30th session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI 30) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), which took place one month after the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), noted that Rio+20’s momentum could be used to address pressing concerns, such as illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, the management of shark fisheries and shark by-catch, the impacts of proliferating ecolabels, and the sustainability of small-scale fisheries.

COFI 30 convened at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, from 9-13 July 2012. Over 540 participants attended the week’s discussions, representing COFI Member States, UN agencies, and intergovernmental organizations and NGOs, and civil society groups.

Participants discussed: world fisheries and aquaculture: status, issues and needs; progress in the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and related instruments; decisions and recommendations of the 13th session of the COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade, and the 6th session of the COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture; ocean governance and relevant outcomes from the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20); major developments and future work of FAO on fisheries and aquaculture since the last Committee session; FAO’s programme of work in fisheries and aquaculture; the Multi-year Programme of Work; and revised Rules of Procedure of the Committee and related changes in practice.

COFI 30 adopted a final report addressing, inter alia: revised rules of procedure; world fisheries and aquaculture, including the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012; recommendations of COFI’s two Sub-Committees on Fish Trade and Aquaculture; ocean governance and outcomes of Rio+20; progress in the development of International Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries; progress in FAO activities on combating IUU fishing; and the FAO Programme of Work in Fisheries and Aquaculture. [IISD RS Coverage of COFI 30]