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ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
FIRMS - FOURTH STEERING COMMITTEE (SC) MEETING
Location: FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy.
Dates: February 26-March 2, 2007.
Representative: Victor Restrepo, Papa Kebe and Pilar Pallarés (ICCAT Secretariat).
Substantive Agenda items: FIRMS membership, Review of activities during the past year, descriptors of stock
status, Information Management Policy (IMP), Inter-sessional work plan.
Comments: During the meeting, three agencies GFCM, NEAFC and SEAFO became new Partners to FIRMS. In
the revision of activities, reported by the FIRMS Secretariat, the launching of the FIRMS website with its marine
resources status and trends information released to the public at the occasion of the UNFSA review conference
held in New York in May 2006, was highlighted as one of the main events during the previous year.
The Steering Committee also reviewed the development of applications, recognizing the work conducted by the
FIRMS Secretariat and provided several suggestions for further improvements.
Special attention was paid to the background of the issue of the FIRMS descriptors of stock status. It was noted
that only one Partner, NAFO, had been able to accept the proposed descriptors as search terms while several
other Partners found their use uneasy. After some discussions the SC considered that stock status references,
‘exploitation rate’, ‘abundance level’ and ‘exploitation status’, currently appearing in the summaries should be
removed, but may be presented (according to Partner’s decision) in fact sheets together with abstracts.
The visual system (traffic light/panels symbols) used by the SCRS to visually present status of stocks together
with level of uncertainty in a simplified manner was presented by the SCRS Chairman. This system avoids the
use of any specific terms.
The Steering Committee approved the inter-sessional work plan presented by the Secretariat which includes a
meeting of the TWG (TWG2) in 2007.
The Steering Committee also planned a Session of FSC (the fifth session) in 2008.
Report availability: ftp://ftp.fao.org/fi/DOCUMENT/FIGIS_FIRMS/2007/report.pdf
REPORT OF THE 27 TH SESSION OF THE FAO COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES (COFI)
Location: FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy.
Dates: March 5-9, 2007.
Representative: Driss Meski (ICCAT Secretariat).
Comments: The session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries was carried out on March 5-9, 2007 with an
extensive Agenda. The follow-up of the actions that were previously adopted were considered, as well as new
actions raised by intermediary sector sessions and the FAO work program in fisheries and aquaculture for future
years. The COFI also reviewed the progress made in the reconstruction of fisheries and aquaculture in Asian
countries affected by the tsunami. The socio-economic situation in small-scale fisheries was of great importance
during the discussions maintained in this 27 th session of COFI.
Participants discussed the progress carried out as regards to the compliance of the FAO Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries, plans of action, combating illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), subsidies for
fishing, trade, the progress made concerning eco tagging, aquaculture, ecosystem approach and the strengthening
of RFMOs. Concerning the last item, COFI has become aware of the work of the Kobe meeting and the actions
resulting from it. At the end of a valuable and important discussion, COFI stressed the importance and the
relevance to carry out RFMO performance reviews as suggested at the Kobe meeting.
COFI adopted a plan of action in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Report availability: http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a1160e/a1160e00.htm
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