This document elaborates the revised International Standard Statistical Classification of Fishing Gear (ISSCFG), as endorsed and adopted for implementation by the FAO Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP) at its Twenty-fifth Session in February 2016 in Rome, Italy. The classification applies to commercial, subsistence and recreational fisheries in marine and freshwater fisheries. The document provides definitions and illustrations of the configuration and mode of operation of typical fishing gears. The primary purpose is to assist FAO Members, regional fishery bodies, as well as those working on fishery statistics and management, to correctly attribute and report fisheries catches made by different gear types. The document also contributes to the prevention, deterrence and elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by providing monitoring, control and surveillance personnel with information to identify the type of fishing gear with regard to licence and authorization to carry out fishing operations. Finally, the document also provides context and references for some contemporary conservation issues related to major fishing gear types; it can therefore be used as a reference text for students and researchers in fisheries and marine conservation.

This technical paper constitutes an update on the 1985 FAO publication Definition and classification of fishery vessel types, and provides descriptions and classification of the main semi-industrial and industrial fishing vessel types: trawlers, purse seiners, seiners, dredgers, gillnetters, trap setters, longliners, pole-and-line vessels, trollers, multipurpose vessels. It also features vessels supporting fishing-related activities such as fish carriers, motherships, fisheries research vessels and vessels involved in aquaculture operations. Illustrations of most vessel types and drawings of the general arrangements of selected vessels are provided.

The wide variety of marine species of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, found in different geographical subregions and habitats, has led to the development of a highly diversified fishing sector characterized by a broad range of fishing gear. Over time, harvesting marine resources has become more efficient due to a progressively improving understanding of the habits and behaviours of the various target species. In order to find ways to conserve fish resources and the marine environment, there is a need to further study these different types of fishing gear as well as to develop less impactful techniques. To this end, a comprehensive overview of fishing gear and methods in use in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea can facilitate the mitigation of incidental catch of vulnerable species, the mitigation of adverse impacts of fisheries on juvenile fish and discards, the decarbonization of fishing fleets through more energy efficient gear, the development of innovative gear to remove marine litter, and the reduction of lost, abandoned and otherwise discarded fishing gear, to name a few. This catalogue aims to provide such an overview and to describe the main technical characteristics and modes of use of fishing gear in operation in the region, considering specificities and differences not only at the regional level but also at the country and local levels.

This document is a report on the technical aspects and current examples of fishing gear recycling as an option for end-of-life fishing gear waste management and pollution control. The report also discusses fishing gear recycling options in the context of circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles. This report will be used for knowledge sharing, dissemination and capacity building purposes. It will assist with planning of GloLitter Partnerships pilot projects around cost–benefit analyses for end-of-life fishing gear port reception facilities, which can support fishing gear recycling. It will also assist with planning of GloLitter Partnerships phase II “pilot projects” to practically implement the proposed fishing gear recycling management systems and incentive schemes. The objectives the report are: summarize current fishing gear recycling technologies; share global case studies of fishing gear recycling initiatives; review the application of circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles to fishing gear recycling; discuss trade-offs between available fishing gear recycling options, and recommend best practices for fishing gear recycling under differing socioeconomic and environmental contexts that progress circular economy and EPR principles.

This manual is a supplement to the Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG; FAO, 2019), and provides practical instructions on marking methods for the main types of fishing gear in order to identify ownership. The marking of fishing gear contributes to sustainable fisheries, improving the state of the marine and freshwater environments by combating, minimizing, and eliminating abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG); it also facilitates the identification and recovery of such gear. In addition, fishing gear marking supports fisheries management and can be used as a tool in the identification of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. This manual is intended to assist fisheries managers, fishing gear manufacturers and the fisheries sector to meet the relevant international, regional or national obligations for gear marking. More specifically, it enables all stakeholders to comply with the specific gear marking requirements outlined in the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, as well as in other international instruments and agreements. Organizations or parties concerned with, or actively addressing the issue of ALDFG may also find the information in this publication useful.

The growing quantity of plastic waste in the marine environment including abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a global problem. A particular feature of ALDFG is the potential of some gears to carry on fishing for many months or even years. The study examines legal responses to ALDFG in the context of marine fisheries. After discussing the nature of the problem of ALDFG and some of the reasons why fishing gear is abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded, the study examines the response of the international community to ALDFG. A key finding is that ALDFG is at the same time, a fishing issue, a navigation problem (of vessel source pollution) and an environmental problem with the resulting involvement of FAO, IMO and UNEP as well as the UN General Assembly. After examining potential legal approaches to the problem, the study then describes the basic legal and institutional arrangements in four case study jurisdictions that have adopted legal measures to address ALDFG, namely Australia, the European Union and its Member States, Norway and the USA finding once again the tripartite responsibility of fisheries, navigation and environment ministries/agencies. The inter-sectoral nature of ALDFG suggests the need for a collaborative and coordinated approach. While not all of the case study jurisdictions make use of all ten of the individual legal measures identified, the case studies also clearly show that ALDFG is a problem that is susceptible to a legal response at the national or regional level including through the use of extended producer responsibility schemes, various reporting requirements and gear standards. Legal tools to address the problem of ALDFG clearly exist. The extent to which some, or all, of them are necessary or appropriate in a given context at national, regional or global level is not ultimately a legal question but a political one.

Marine mammal depredation refers to the phenomenon of marine mammals partially or completely removing catch from fishing gear. Its results, which can affect the survival of wild dolphin populations, as well as damage gear or target fish, disturb fishing activities and generate economic losses for fishers, are a growing cause for concern in several Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries. Depredation events often leave dolphins injured or snared in fishing nets and fishers with damaged nets and lower catch values. As a result, these interactions can create conflicts between dolphins and fishers, undermining efforts to improve the sustainability of fisheries and the conservation of vulnerable species. This review offers an overview of historical and current trends of depredation by marine mammals in the region, including information on the contiguous Atlantic area west of Gibraltar. The publication aims to assess and synthesize depredation records and describe ongoing projects on depredation in order to improve knowledge on key aspects of depredation, such as the fishing practices associated with depredation events, the economic fallout caused by marine mammal–fisheries interactions and the species and populations most involved in depredation. In the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, coastal fisheries often come into contact with cetaceans, especially bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena relicta). These species feature most prominently in the depredation records assessed and are the main research focuses of ongoing monitoring projects in the region. However, Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) are also responsible for depredation, especially in the eastern Mediterranean, and are the subject of their own short chapter in this review.

The 2023 annual meeting of the ICES-FAO Working Group on Fishing Technology and Fish Behaviour (WGFTFB) and the International Symposium on “Innovations in Fishing Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Fisheries” was held from 13 to 17 February 2023 in Kochi, India. [Author] The symposium was hosted by FAO in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, organized by the Bay of Bengal Programme Intergovernmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) and National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Fisheries Institutes and State Fisheries Universities. [Author] The symposium brought together 325 participants comprising of scientists, researchers, officials, policymakers, diplomats, industry, entrepreneurs, and students from 32 countries both online and offline delivering a total of 137 presentations providing a platform for discussions on the challenges facing world fisheries including depleted fish stocks, habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, fish loss and wastage bycatch, and ghost fishing. [Author] This report summarizes the symposium on “Innovations in Fishing Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Fisheries” which comprised of eight thematic sessions: (i) active gears (ii) passive gears (iii)indicators (iv) abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) (v) survival/behaviour/physiology (vi) energy efficiency (vii) general topics and (viii) gear design. [Author]

Conservation Physiology for the Anthropocene: A Systems Approach, Volume 39A in the Fish Physiology series, is a comprehensive synthesis on the physiology of fish in the Anthropocene. This volume closes the knowledge gap by considering the many ways in which different physiological systems (e.g., sensory physiology, endocrine, cardio-respiratory, bioenergetics, water and ionic balance and homeostasis, locomotion/biomechanics, gene function) and physiological diversity are relevant to management and conservation. As the world is changing, with a dire need to identify solutions to the many environmental problems facing wild fish populations, this book comprehensively covers conservation physiology and its future techniques. Conservation physiology reveals the many ways in which environmental change and human activities can negatively influence wild fish populations. These tactics inform new management and conservation activities and help create the necessary conditions for fish to thrive. - Presents authoritative contributions from an international board of authors, each with extensive expertise in the conservation physiology of fish - Provides the most up-to-date information on the ways in which different physiological systems are relevant to the management and conservation of fish and fisheries - Identifies how anthropogenic stressors perturb physiological systems - Explores how different physiological systems can be exploited to solve conservation problems

Atlantic cod is an important fish species in human history and continues to be a major influence on North Atlantic fisheries management, as stock collapses and recoveries impact coastal communities and shelf sea food webs. This book provides an overview of Atlantic cod biology and ecology, focussing on regional differences in life-history and stock dynamics that affect productivity and the challenges faced by management. By comparing the success of management approaches and the local influence of changing climate and food webs, the book highlights the different pressures facing stocks and identifies knowledge gaps across the species’ range.