Report And Documentation Of The Expert Consultation On Deep Sea Fisheries In The High Seas

The Expert Consultation was convened to review an initial draft of the International Guidelines as called for by the FAO Committee on Fisheries at its twenty-seventh session in 2007. This expert consultation was preceded by an expert consultation in November 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand, on deep-sea fisheries in the high seas. The consultation adopted a draft of the international guidelines to be forwarded on to a technical consultation for review and adoption.

The goals of the expert consultation were to advise FAO on the development and implementation of a global record of fishing vessels and to respond to the request from FAO's Committee on Fisheries to further develop the concept as described in the feasibility study. A comprehensive global record, a potential additional tool to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, is envisioned as a global database gathering data from many sources in one location.--Publisher's description

In Filling Regulatory Gaps in High Seas Fisheries, author Yoshinobu Takei investigates the regime of high seas fisheries from the perspective of international law and considers whether there are regulatory gaps in high seas fisheries and, if so, how they should be filled. The book focuses on topical issues such as the management of deep-sea fisheries on the high seas and the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems. In view of the current state of marine fisheries resources, together with ecosystem concerns, swift and effective action is required to improve fisheries management, in particular for high seas fisheries. Takei thoroughly analyzes the current state of affairs and convincingly suggests steps to be taken in the future.

This Expert Consultation was convened in order to address continuing global concerns regarding deep-sea fisheries in the high seas and build on outputs from previous conferences. The impetus for the consultation resulted from recommendations from the 26th COFI. Four main aspects of deep-sea fisheries in the high seas were focused on: the overall resource, management of the resource, legal issues, and high seas marine protected areas. The consultation sought to improve knowledge of management issues and constraints. Activities that build on this information will follow in 2007 and 2008. This document contains and overview of the meeting and the main conclusions and recommendations developed by the participants. In addition the four background papers that were commissioned for the consultation, as well as complimentary presentations and documents presented in Bangkok are included.

The deep sea covers over 60% of the surface of the earth, yet less than 1% has been scientifically investigated. There is growing pressure on deep-sea resources and on researchers to deliver information on biodiversity and the effects of human impacts on deep-sea ecosystems. Although scientific knowledge has increased rapidly in recent decades, there exist large gaps in global sampling coverage of the deep sea, and major efforts continue to be directed into offshore research. Biological Sampling in the Deep Sea represents the first comprehensive compilation of deep-sea sampling methodologies for a range of habitats. It reviews the real life applications of current, and in some instances developing, deep-sea sampling tools and techniques. In creating this book the authors have been able to draw upon the experiences of those at the coal face of deep-sea sampling, expanding on the existing methodological texts whilst encompassing a level of technical detail often omitted from journal publications. Ultimately the book will promote international consistency in sampling approaches and data collection, advance the integration of information into global databases, and facilitate improved data analyses and consequently uptake of science results for the management and conservation of the deep-sea environment. The book will appeal to a range of readers, including students, early-career through to seasoned researchers, as well as environmental managers and policy makers wishing to understand how the deep-sea is sampled, the challenges associated with deep survey work, and the type of information that can be obtained.

The objective of this report is to provide an overview of the key socio-economic, management and governance issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of deep-sea ecosystems and biodiversity. The report highlights our current understanding of these issues and identifies topics and areas that need further investigation to close gaps in knowledge. It also explores the needs and means for interfacing research with policy with a view to contributing to the political processes regarding deep-sea and high-seas governance, which are currently ongoing in various international flora within and outside the UN system. In addition, the report provides guidance on the future direction and focus of research on environmental, socio-economic and governance aspects in relation to the deep-sea.

The goals of the expert consultation were to advise FAO on the development and implementation of a global record of fishing vessels and to respond to the request from FAO's Committee on Fisheries to further develop the concept as described in the feasibility study. A comprehensive global record, a potential additional tool to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, is envisioned as a global database gathering data from many sources in one location.--Publisher's description