Report of the TENTH MEETING OF THE REGIONAL FISHERY BODY SECRETARIATS' NETWORK Rome, 5, 6 and 12 July 2024

Abstract

ABBREVIATIONS ABMT area-based management tool ACAP Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels BBNJ marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction BBNJ Agreement Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction BOBP-IGO Bay of Bengal Programme-Intergovernmental Organization CACFish Central Asian and Caucasus Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission CBD Convention on Biological Diversity BOBSAN Bay of Bengal Stock Assessment Network BMO Basin Management Organization CCAMLR Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources CCSBT Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna COFI Committee on Fisheries CRFM Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism CTMFM Joint Technical Commission for the Argentina/Uruguay Maritime Front CWP Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics DOALOS Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea EAF ecosystem approach to fisheries EIA environmental impact assessment EIFAAC European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FFA Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency FIRMS Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System GBF Global Biodiversity Framework GEF Global Environment Facility GFCM General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean IATTC Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission ICCAT International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Sea ILBI international legally binding instrument ILO International Labour Organization IMO International Maritime Organization IOTC Indian Ocean Tuna Commission IUU illegal, unreported and unregulated IWC International Whaling Commission MCS monitoring, control, and surveillance MOU memorandum of understanding NACA Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific NAFO Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization NASCO North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization NEAFC North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission NFI Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of FAO NPAFC North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission OECMs other effective area-based conservation measures OSPESCA Organization for the Fishing and Aquaculture Sector of the Central American Isthmus PSC Pacific Salmon Commission PSMA Agreement on Port State Measures RECs Regional Economic Communities RECOFI Regional Commission for Fisheries RFAB Regional fishery advisory body RFB regional fishery body RFMO regional fisheries management organization RoP Rules of Procedure RSN Regional Fishery Body Secretariats' Network RSN-9 Ninth Meeting of the Regional Fishery Body Secretariats' Network RSN-10 Tenth Meeting of the Regional Fishery Body Secretariats' Network RSO regional seas organization SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre SIOFA Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement SOFIA The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture SOI Sustainable Ocean Initiative SoSI SOFIA State of Stocks Index SPC The Pacific Community SPRFMO South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation SSF small-scale fisheries TOR terms of reference UN United Nations UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNFSA United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement WCPFC Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission WECAFC Western and Central Atlantic Fishery Commission WTO World Trade Organization VMS vessel monitoring system PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT This is the report of the Tenth Meeting of the Regional Fishery Body Secretariats' Network (RSN-10), held on 5, 6 and 12 July 2024. PRESENTATION OF REPORTS 4.1 REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSONS On behalf of the Chairpersons, the RSN Secretary provided a brief update of the intersessional RSN activities conducted since the last meeting of RSN in 2022 (RSN-9), which included the following: * contributed to the organization of Regional Consultation on the Development of a Coordination Framework between RFBs in the Eastern Central Atlantic Ocean (Accra, Ghana, 30 November to 2 December 2022); * supported the organization of the international workshop "Mainstreaming climate change into international fisheries governance - the case of Regional Fisheries Bodies in the Indo-Pacific region (Chennai, India, 17-19 October 2023)" in coordination with the Government of India and BOBP-IGO; * organised the "First global workshop between regional fishery bodies and basin management organizations towards sustainable inland fisheries in the context of food security and nutrition (Entebbe, Uganda, 6-8 December 2023)", in collaboration with the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) in December 2023; and * liaised and cooperated with relevant FAO colleagues in the organization of the "Workshop on Fisheries-related other effective area-based conservation measures in areas under the jurisdiction of regional fisheries bodies (FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy, 22-24 January 2024)". The meeting welcomed the work carried out by the RSN Secretariat during the intersessional period and its continued effort in strengthening relations amongst its members. 4.2 REPORTS FROM MEMBERS ON PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS AND ISSUES THAT THEY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT RELATED TO THEIR ORGANIZATIONS/REGION THAT HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR OTHER RFBS The Director General of FFA made a presentation focused on the economic and social aspects of the fisheries sector in the areas under the organization's mandate and current related-opportunities and challenges faced by the FFA secretariat and its 17 members, in particular with regard to climate change and food security issues. The Executive Secretary of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) noted the increasing interest in krill fishing which led to the decision by the Scientific Committee to develop the scientific basis for a new krill fishery management approach.