This document contains the report of the Seventh Meeting of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM), which was held in Kuwait City, the State of Kuwait, from 5 to 7 November 2013. The WGFM addressed and made decisions on matters concerning relevant follow-up to the sixth meeting of the RECOFI WGFM and to the Seventh Session of RECOFI that was held in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, during the period from 14 to 16 May 2013. Country reports on the status of national fisheries were presented and discussed. The WGFM formulated further work on the socio-economics of fisheries in the region. The enforcement of the recommendation on minimum data reporting was reviewed and the urgent need to establish a data access policy and protocol was considered. The WGFM identified the objectives, data and skills requirement of the first regional joint assessment of the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel. The importance of the regional approach to fisheries management was recognized, initially with a particular focus on developing management procedures with regards to shrimp trawling and management plan for the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel.

This document contains the report of the tenth meeting of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM) which was held in Doha, State of Qatar, from 6 to 8 December 2016. The tenth meeting of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM) was held in Doha, State of Qatar from 6 to 8 December 2016. The meeting was convened by RECOFI and FAO and attended by 11 participants from five RECOFI member countries ( Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE) in addition to the FAO Secretariat and one invited expert. Participants provided updates of the current work ongoing at the national level with regards to the RECOFI priority species, and discussed data collection challenges. The WGFM reviewed the progress on the socio-economic work for RECOFI, and agreed that the socio-economic Task Group members must be updated, as well as the information provided in the socio-economic questionnaire. The WGFM took note that the general situation regarding the capacity of RECOFI members to report catch and effort information as defined in the Recommendation had slightly improved and acknowledged the progress that had been made regarding the integration of the current RECOFI regional data set into RAIS. The WGFM took note and considered the content and conclusions of the draft RECOFI review and noted with concern the low level of RECOFI members’attendance at intersessional meetings and workshops. The WGFM ackno wledged the benefits of developing FIRMS Marine Resources for the RECOFI region and recommended the initiation of the process focusing on the Spanish mackerel and shrimps as priority species. The meeting acknowledged with appreciation the efforts of the Secretariat for pursuing cooperation with ROPME, in particular considering the potential for mutual benefits of this cooperation for both organizations and their members. The WGFM agreed on a programme of work and budget for 2017–2018 to be submi tted at the ninth session of RECOFI for consideration.

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 session took steps towards clearing an instrument for marine protection, added two species to the priority list, agreed to harmonize country data, and decided to proceed with the standard FAO aquaculture questionnaires.

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 is the final version of the Report of the Regional Commission for Fisheries/Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (RECOFI–FIRMS) Data Call Workshop – Updating stocks and fisheries inventories, Virtual Meeting, 3–4 August 2021. This workshop focused on the update of the RECOFI–FIRMS national inventories on fisheries and the development of the RECOFI inventory on marine resources based on its priority species. Recommendations from the workshop included: i) the nomination of a National Focal Points (NFPs) for Minimum Data Reporting (MDR) and for the Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS), who would closely collaborate; ii) an increased collaboration with the FIRMS Secretariat towards the compilation and publishing of up-to-date marine resource and fisheries inventories and fact sheets; and iii) the utilization of the RECOFI–FIRMS inventories and templates for any submission of national stock information to the Working Group on Fisheries Management (WGFM).

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.

This document is the report of the twenty-eighth meeting of the Fisheries Subject Group and Seventh Meeting of the Aquaculture Subject Group, held during the intersessional meeting of the Aquaculture Subject and the Fisheries Subject Groups of the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP), which was held online on 2–5 November 2021. The meeting reviewed progress made since the twenty-sixth session of the CWP and in particular in the activities of five task groups which are developing statistical concepts and measures of catch and fishing effort, a standard for reference harmonization, enhancements in workflow between national and international organizations, best practices in data confidentiality arrangements, and the aquaculture section of the CWP Handbook on Fishery Statistics. The CWP, supported by the participating organizations, serves as the premier international and inter-organizational forum for agreeing common definitions, classifications and standards for the collection of fishery and aquaculture statistics. It provides a mechanism to coordinate the statistical programs conducted by intergovernmental organizations including regional fishery bodies with a remit for fishery statistics. Twelve CWP member organizations participated in the meeting with another regional organization participating as observer.

The 2018 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture emphasizes the sector’s role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and measurement of progress towards these goals. It notes the particular contributions of inland and small-scale fisheries, and highlights the importance of rights-based governance for equitable and inclusive development. As in past editions, the publication begins with a global analysis of trends in fisheries and aquaculture production, stocks, processing and use, trade and consumption, based on the latest official statistics, along with a review of the status of the world’s fishing fleets and human engagement and governance in the sector. Topics explored in Parts 2 to 4 include aquatic biodiversity; the ecosystem approach to fisheries and to aquaculture; climate change impacts and responses; the sector’s contribution to food security and human nutrition; and issues related to international trade, consumer protection and sustainable value chains. Global developments in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, selected ocean pollution concerns and FAO’s efforts to improve capture fishery data are also discussed. The issue concludes with the outlook for the sector, including projections to 2030. As always, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture aims to provide objective, reliable and up-to- date information to a wide audience, including policy-makers, managers, scientists, stakeholders and indeed all those interested in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.