Further action on responsible fisheries recommended

FAO Committee notes progress although major issues still need to be tackled, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to FAO.

Countries are making progress in implementing the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, which is now 15 years old, but still extremely relevant. However, additional efforts are needed, declared participants at the close of the 29th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries.

The Committee, the only global intergovernmental forum to examine and address major challenges facing fisheries and aquaculture, said that the Code's principles must be more widely included in national policy, legislation and implementation. It encouraged a broader application of the ecosystem approach to fisheries and aquaculture, requesting that FAO provide countries with technical assistance, especially for the problems confronting the world's small-scale fisheries, including inland fisheries.