The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, through its Fisheries and Aquaculture Department and its Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), is producing a country-driven first report on the State of the World's Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SoWAqGR).
An expert consultation was convened to finalize guidelines for countries to follow when submitting their reports on the state of their aquatic genetic resources (AqGR).
1 February 2013: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) held two back-to-back consultations with experts on: the finalization of guidelines for preparation of country reports for the first report on the State of the World’s Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SoWAqGR); and the establishment of terms of reference (TOR) for a Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Advisory Working Group on Genetic Resources.
FAO, through its Fisheries and Aquaculture Department and its Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), is producing a country-driven first report on SoWAqGR. The first expert consultation was convened to finalize guidelines for countries to follow when submitting their reports on the state of their aquatic genetic resources (AqGR).
According to FAO, the SoWAqGR will: provide countries with opportunities to assess the status of their aquatic genetic resources and to enhance the contributions of AqGR to food security and rural development; assist countries in determining their needs and priorities for the conservation and sustainable use of AqGR; and contribute to raising awareness among policy makers.
Approximately 18 people composed of technical experts, regional fishery body representatives and national representatives produced guidelines for country reporting that will include: inventories of AqGR and their use in food production; identification of drivers and trends impacting AqGR; status and needs for in-situ and ex-situ conservation of AqGR; perspectives of primary stakeholders regarding AqGR; the state of national policies, legislation and action plans on AqGR; and the state of sub-regional, regional, international and global collaboration concerning AqGR. The finalized questionnaire will be submitted for approval at the next session of the CGRFA, scheduled to take place in April 2013.
The 30th Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) recommended the establishment of a FAO Advisory Working Group on Genetic Resources and Technologies that would advise FAO on matters concerning aquatic genetic resources and technologies in order to enhance international cooperation on aquatic genetic resource management. The second consultation, which gathered the same group of experts, established the advisory group’s draft TOR. The experts agreed that in order to address fully AqGR in food production, the scope of the advisory group should include aquaculture and capture fisheries.
The TOR relate to advising FAO on: the conservation, sustainable use and development of aquatic genetic resources for food and agriculture; collection and sharing of information on aquatic genetic resources for food and agriculture and related technologies; mechanisms for responsible exchange of genetic resources; and the range, application and availability of technologies for the conservation, sustainable use and development of aquatic genetic resources for food and agriculture and capacity development and networking at the global and regional levels.
The draft TOR will be submitted to the next Session of the CGRFA for information, and to the seventh session of the COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture in October 2013 for approval. Pending approval by the Sub-Committee, the TOR will be submitted to the 31st Session of COFI for decision.
The two consultations took place at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand, from 28 January to 1 February 2013. [IISD RS Sources] [Event Webpage] [FAO Press Release]