PROCEEDINGS OF THE FOuRTH INTERNaTIONal FISHERS FORum

[ 6.3. ]
IFF3 Commitments and Progress
Ms. Kitty Simonds, Executive Director, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
Over the past seven years, the International Fishers Forum
(IFF) series has brought together a diverse group of
fishermen and other interested persons who are united in
the belief that conserving our fisheries and protecting our
ocean environment are not mutually exclusive goals.
This week, at IFF4, we will continue our work to develop
environmentally responsible fisheries. As in previous
Forums, we will examine the impacts of our fisheries with
a critical eye and open mind. We will generously share our
best practices and expert knowledge. And we will commit
ourselves as individuals and groups to actions that will
ensure that we have not only fish forever but also healthy
populations of seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals.
Before we begin this task, let us take a few minutes to review
the outcomes of the previous IFF gatherings and the major
movements that have occurred since IFF3. This review
should benefit the approximately 60 participants who are
new to this Forum. It should also help remind all of us to
listen attentively to the presentations in order to glean from
them the next steps that we need to take and the actions that
we as individuals or group will commit to.
When the first IFF gathering was held in New Zealand in the
year 2000, our initial concern was mitigating interactions
between pelagic longline fisheries and seabirds. The
participants, coming from 13 countries, acknowledged that
an integrated “bottom-up” fishery-specific and area-specific
approach was required. They recognized the need for ongoing
research and development and acknowledged that progress
would be determined by their own contribution within
their own fishing entities, regions or organizations. They
recognized that differences of expertise and economy would
in part determine the objectives that each entity could set.
When the Forum reconvened in Hawaii in 2002, the theme
was expanded to include interactions between pelagic
longline fisheries and sea turtles as well as seabirds. The
participants drafted a Forum Resolution, which contained
actions to promote involvement in the IFF initiatives by
the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), the Convention on Migratory Species, relevant
regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs)
and national agencies. In addition to this Resolution, there
were commitments to specific concrete actions from 65
individuals and groups.
In 2005, IFF3 convened in Japan jointly with the
International Tuna Fishers Conference on Responsible
Fisheries. The theme had grown to include the incidental
bycatch and protected species interactions of demersal as
well as pelagic longline fisheries, sharks as well as tuna,
and marketing issues such as eco-labeling as well as fishing
gear and techniques. The Forum adopted the 12-point
Yokohama Declaration that promoted involvement in the IFF
initiatives through the entire tuna fishery chain of custody
including consumers, encouraged longline and purse-seine
fisheries to work together, encouraged management of
capacity in the tuna fishery, and recognized and supported
the preeminent management role of RFMOs and the FAO.
The Declaration also promoted use of proven sea turtle and
seabird mitigation techniques (such as circle hooks and
tori poles) and encouraged participants to continuously
challenge biased, unsupported and unscientific statements
about environmentally responsible fisheries. Those of you
who participated in IFF3 will recall that, in addition to
the Declaration, commitments to specific concrete actions
were made by the 216 participants at the Forum. These
actions ranged from educating fishermen to experimenting
with bycatch mitigation techniques, from developing
collaborative partnerships to addressing illegal, unreported
and unregulated (IUU) fisheries, and from managing shark
bycatch through full utilization to promoting more observer
programs in longline fisheries.
Many of the conclusions and resolutions from IFF 1, 2 and
3 were incorporated into the work programs of government
agencies, fishery and conservation organizations and
individuals who participated in these meetings. For example,
in the past few days we have visited longline ports here in
Puntarenas and have been greatly impressed by the fishery
IFF Commitments and Progress
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