This document contains the report of the fifth meeting of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM), which was held in Tehran, Iran (Islamic Republic of), from 9 to 12 October 2011. The WGFM addressed and made decisions on matters concerning relevant follow-up to the sixth session of RECOFI and the fourth session of the RECOFI WGFM. An update on the programme of work and budget for the biennium for 2011-12 in relation to the WGFM was considered and arrangements for a number of activities finalized in terms of dates, locations and funding. A proposal by the Sultanate of Oman on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the RECOFI region was addressed again and Members undertook to follow up on assessing IUU fishing in their respective countries through the completion of a questionnaire that would be circulated prior to the sixth meeting of the WGFM in Qatar in October 2012. The WGFM considered in detail progress towards the implementation of the RECOFI Recommendation on Minimum Data Reporting (Recommendation RECOFI/6/2011/1). A preliminary review of stock and fisheries status indicators to be produced from the RECOFI fishery management database, building on past work, was reviewed and progressed. The meeting considered a RECOFI scientific working group to provide scientific advice to the Commission on aquaculture and fishery management. This matter will be addressed further at the seventh session of RECOFI in May 2013. The final substantive item addressed on the agenda was RECOFI cooperation with the Fishery Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS). The next meeting of the WGFM will be held in Qatar from 21 to 23 October 2012--

This document contains the report of the Sixth Meeting of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM), which was held on Doha, the State of Qatar from 5 to 8 November 2012. The WGFM addressed and made decisions on matters concerning relevant follow-up to fifth meeting of the RECOFI WGFM and to the sixth session of RECOFI. The status of the implementation of the fisheries management recommendation on minimum data reporting in recommendation RECOFI 6/2011/1 that entered into force on 1 January 2012 was discussed. The report on the RECOFI Workshop on Social and Economic Aspects of Fisheries in the RECOFI Region as well as the progress on the work of the Task Group for this activity was presented and discussed.

This document contains the report of the fifth meeting of the Working Group on Aquaculture (WGA) of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) held in Doha, Qatar. The meeting discussed national and regional follow-up actions to the two WGA technical workshops on aquatic animal health and on sustainable marine case aquaculture development.The WGA finalised its proposed programme of work for the next intersessional period based also on the recommendations from its previous technical workshop.

Forty participants from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates participated in the RECOFI Data Workshop Series: Minimum Data Reporting (MDR) regional database, RECOFI-FIRMS stocks and fisheries inventories and SDG Indicator 14.4.1: Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels. The workshop reviewed the MDR indicators and priority species list for endorsement, reviewed the presentation of pilot MDR RECOFI regional database and adopted an MDR data submission template. With regards to the RECOFI – FIRMS stocks and fisheries inventories, the workshop acknowledged the progress made so far and recommended that the Member Countries finalize and publish the RECOFI Fisheries inventory. The workshop also recognized the importance of publishing the work on the priority species presented at each meeting of the WGFM under the RECOFI - FIRMS collection as marine resource fact sheets. The workshop discussed the focal points list for MDR/FIRMS that will be circulated to Member Countries for finalisation and further discussed at the next meeting of the WGFM and approved at the next session of RECOFI. On SDG 14.4.1, the workshop agreed that the SDG 14.4.1 focal point list would be verified and validated and RECOFI Members’ reference list of stocks would be confirmed as either shared, transboundary and national, and communicate any issues with the outcomes.

The sixth meeting of the Working Group on Aquaculture (WGA) of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) was held in Muscat, Oman, from 21 to 23 October 2014 and was attended by representatives from seven member countries. The WGA reviewed the outcome and recommendations of the sixth and seventh sessions of the Commission. The WGA noted the importance of the timely collection, submission and sharing of accurate aquaculture statistics and other relevant aquaculture information. A draft recommendation on the minimum reporting of aquaculture data and information was discussed.

The report of the Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM) was addressed, as well as the the outcome of the third and fourth meetings of the WGFM, stock status reporting and review of capture fisheries statistics, and unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the region. The Commission agreed to adopt the FAO/RECOFI joint WGA and WGFM regional strategy on spatial planning for marine capture fisheries and aquaculture and, within available resources, to provide the necessary support for follow-up action for the strategy's implementation. The Commission adopted its first fisheries management recommendation on minimum data reporting in the RECOFI area and agreed that the recommendation would take effect on 1 January 2012. The Commission agreed on a threefold increase of the Members' annual contributions from 2013 provided that all arrears were liquidated by 31 December 2011. The Commission discussed and approved the programme of work for the WGA and the WGFM.

The Session was attended by delegates from seven Members of the Commission and by observers from international, regional and national fishery bodies and institutions. The meeting was organized to evaluate the progress of intercessional activities relating to recommendations of earlier sessions, address regional fisheries and aquaculture issues of concern and review plans for short and medium-term activities.

This is the final version of the Report of the Minimum Data Reporting Regional Database Workshop to Support the Strengthening of RECOFI’s Statistics and Information Capacity through its Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM), Virtual Meeting, 13–14 July 2021.

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) remains the cornerstone of global ocean governance. However, it lacks effective provisions or mechanisms to ensure that all ocean space and related problems are dealt with holistically. With seemingly no opportunity for revision due to the Conventions burdensome amendment provisions, complementary mechanisms dealing with such aspects of global ocean governance including maritime transport, fisheries, and marine environmental sustainability, have been developed under the aegis of the United Nations and other relevant international organizations. This approach is inherently fragmented and unable to achieve sustainable global ocean governance. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 14, the IMLI Treatise proposes a new paradigm on the basis of integrated and cross-sectoral approach in order to realise a more effective and sustainable governance regime for the oceans. This volume focuses on the role of the UN Specialized Agencies towards the development of effective and sustainable ocean governance by looking at the more elaborate mechanisms they developed in order to achieve the desired objectives laid down in UNCLOS. From FAO to UNODC, the volume examines how they ensure sustainable development and how much coordination exists among them.