E - Iccat

ADDRESSES & STATEMENTS
exploitation of fish stocks in accordance with international law and the 1995 UN FAO Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries. During the same period of time, modernizing the constitutive agreement of ICCAT has
been recognized as an important issue by all the CPCs of ICCAT. Moreover, that many of the major fish stocks
managed by ICCAT have faced with a declining situation in recent years further illustrates the need of
strengthening the existing ICCAT Convention. Against such backdrop, the Working Group on the Future of
ICCAT has proposed to the Commission for its consideration a draft recommendation to establish a subsidiary
body and to empower such body with a mandate of making amendments to the Basic Texts of ICCAT within a
specific timeframe and with a participation of all CPCs.
We welcome such a positive and encouraging development. We trust that with the collective wisdom and spirit
of cooperation shown by all the parties, the adoption of this draft recommendation can be expected and thus pave
the way for bringing the existing ICCAT Convention in harmony with the recent development of international
fisheries instruments and ethos. At this critical moment, we would like to urge all the Contracting Parties adopt
this draft recommendation at this meeting so that we could commence our efforts of modernizing the ICCAT
Convention with the participation of all CPCs that have real fisheries interests in this region.
In addition, conservation of sharks and management of shark fishery is an important issue in protecting
biodiversity. We would like to see the Commission making further progress on the adoption of related
resolutions in this regard, in particular with respect to the control or requirement of natural attachment of shark
fins to bodies before the first landing of shark catch while taking into account the necessary flexibility for or
adaptation to the practicality of implementation.
3.4 OPENING STATEMENTS BY OBSERVERS FROM INTER-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
FAO would like to thank both the Secretariat of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tunas (ICCAT) for extending an invitation to attend this 18th Special Meeting of the Commission, and also the
host Government of Morocco for the warm hospitality that has been extended to delegates.
As a Fisheries Liaison Officer based in the Fisheries Policy Division of FAO, my specialization in FAO is
liaison between the Organization and regional fishery bodies (RFB) and I am also the Secretary of the Regional
Fishery Body Secretariats’ Network. In both of these roles, I have enjoyed a productive working relationship
with ICCAT which is widely recognized as a leading RFB in many areas of fisheries management.
I would like to take this opportunity to inform the ICCAT delegates of news from FAO over the past 12 months.
Most attention must focus on the thirtieth meeting of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (9-13 July 2012) and the
fourth meeting of the Regional Fishery Body Secretariats’ Network (13 July 2012).
The COFI 30 Agenda included presentations on:
• The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA);
• Progress in the Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and related instruments;
• Recommendations from the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade;
• Recommendations from the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture;
• Ocean governance and relevant outcomes from Rio + 20;
• Updates on the development of International Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries;
• Combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and
• FAO’s programme of work / vision for the future.
The COFI report can be found at www.fao.org/cofi
The Committee, among others, urged FAO to reinforce its emphasis on fish as food, ensure that these aspects
were not lost in the global and regional frameworks for ocean conservation and management, and assert its
leading role in fisheries and aquaculture and in ocean governance. The Committee further agreed that FAO
should focus on those challenges which are relevant to its core mandate of food security and must join efforts
with partners, including regional fishery bodies, to better address these challenges.
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