World review of fisheries and aquaculture

1,27
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158
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2521
ID Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

2000
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FOREWORD

This is the third issue of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture. It follows the pattern set by

the previous issues, published in 1996 and 1998. The purpose continues to be to provide policy-

makers, civil society and those who derive their livelihood from the sector a comprehensive,

objective and global view of capture fisheries and aquaculture, including associated policy issues.

The concerns of consumers and fishers, which are central to the state of world fisheries and

aquaculture, are reflected in a number of topics examined in The State of World Fisheries and

Aquaculture 2000. A discussion of current issues is complemented by summary reports on national

and international activities undertaken to address them. Some issues are well known and figure

prominently in the international debate – the issue of fish quality and safety, for instance, and that

of genetically modified organisms and fisheries. Also discussed are two important issues that are

much less known and understood: the first is fishers’ safety; the second is the culture of fishing

communities. It is not commonly known that fishing at sea is probably the most dangerous

occupation in the world. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2000 reports on this issue in

the hope that a more widespread realization of this aspect of fisheries will lead to effective

measures to improve fishers’ safety. Recent developments in fisheries governance seem to lead

to a larger role for fishers in fisheries management. However, for fishers to become effective

partners in management, a better understanding of their communities’ culture is essential. Highlights

from a recently completed FAO study of this subject are included in this publication on the premise

that reaching a better understanding of such cultures is a key to fisheries management and food

security in most artisanal and small-scale fisheries.

Sustainable exploitation continues to be a desirable goal for all fisheries and aquaculture operations.

This year, we report on some aspects of the progress made by the international fisheries

community towards achieving this goal. Summary information is provided on the state of fisheries

management, and several factors to be considered in efforts to improve management are

discussed, for example:

i) property rights – seen as a means for defining and specifying the entitlements, privileges and

responsibilities created by different types of fisheries management regimes;

ii) the role of indicators of sustainable development and their integration with the precautionary

approach, as the use of such indicators is set to become a practice leading towards an ecosystems

framework for management;

iii) a plausible approach for dealing with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and

iv) ecolabelling, the basic principles of which are described, together with the somewhat

controversial standing of this practice and its potential contribution to fisheries management.

As in the past, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2000 begins by reviewing recent

developments in the status of resources, production from capture fisheries and aquaculture,

utilization and trade. Recent advances in fishing technology are also covered. This information is

complemented by a report – in Part 3 – on the economic viability of selected commercial fishing

fleets.

A general outlook is provided in Part 4, which examines recent trends and their possible impact on

the nature and character of the fishing industry, as well as on the level and distribution of future

fish consumption.



CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Glossary

Part 1

WORLD REVIEW OF FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE

Fisheries resources: trends in production, utilization and trade

Overview

Capture fisheries production

The status of fisheries resources

The status of the ecosystems

The status of the fishing fleet

Fishing technology development

Fisheries policy and management

Aquaculture

Fish utilization

Fish trade

PART 2

SELECTED ISSUES FACING FISHERS AND AQUACULTURISTS

Fishers’ safety

The issue

Possible solutions

Recent actions

Global perspective

Fish quality and safety

The issue

Possible solutions

Recent actions

Global perspective

Property rights and fisheries management

The issue

Possible solutions

Recent actions

Global perspective

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

The issue

Possible solutions

Recent actions

Global perspective

Indicators of sustainable development and the precautionary approach in marine capture fisheries

The issue

Possible solutions

Recent actions

Global perspective

Monitoring the impact of fishing on marine ecosystems

The issue

Possible solutions

Global perspective

Genetically modified organisms and fisheries

The issue

Possible solutions

Recent actions

Global perspective

Ecolabelling in fisheries management

The issue

How ecolabelling works

Recent actions

Global perspective

PART 3

HIGHLIGHTS OF SPECIAL FAO STUDIES

Understanding the cultures of fishing communities: a key to fisheries management and food

security

Background

Highlights from case studies

Highlights of main findings

The economic viability of marine capture fisheries

Background

Findings

Outlook: sustainability and economic viability

Trends in world fisheries and their resources: 1974-1999

Introduction

Relative production levels

Global levels of exploitation

The state of stocks by region

Global trends

Discussion

PART 4

OUTLOOK

Recent trends and possible consequences for world fisheries and aquaculture

Overview

Fish as food

Fish as a source of income

Medium-term outlook: fish consumption in 2010

Long-term outlook: some plausible structural changes in production and demand

PART 5

FISHERIES ACTIVITIES OF COUNTRY GROUPINGS

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Caribbean Community and Common Market

Commonwealth of Independent States

Economic Community of West African States

European Community

Latin American Economic System

League of Arab States

North American Free Trade Agreement

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

Southern African Development Community

South Pacific Forum