The meeting reviewed the decisions of the Twenty-fifth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of relevance to regional fishery bodies and FAO Fisheries Circular No. 985 containing summary information about RFBs.

The meeting reviewed the decisions of the Twenty-fifth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of relevance to regional fishery bodies and FAO Fisheries Circular No. 985 containing summary information about RFBs.

The meeting reviewed the decision of the twenty-sixth session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of relevance to Regional Fishery Bodies. A number of conclusions were reached regarding matters meriting the attention of RFBs, governments and FAO.--Publisher's description.

The workshop referred closely to the results of a first workshop held in Bangkok in 2002 (The International Workshop on Factors Contributing to Unsustainability and Overexploitation in Fisheries) but aimed more specifically at answering the following three major questions: What are the major obstacles to the implementation of major legal instruments? What are the main lessons learned and the possible paths to solutions for improved implementation? What are the possible gaps that may exist in these instruments to guide the international community in improving the management of marine fisheries? The workshop was based on a review of eleven case studies, each relating to one of the following categories of fishery: large volume small pelagics; tuna and tuna-like species; large volume demersals; and coastal fisheries. This publication contains the report of the Workshop, discussion papers containing case studies and notes submitted by participants. The document, and in particular the conclusions adopted by workshop participants, will serve as a basis for further analytical work aimed at improved fisheries management and a more effective implementation of major international fisheries instruments.

Topics discussed were: review of membership; progress since CWP-20 (from each member organization); review of the development of FIGIS and FIRMS (for information); CWP's advocacy role; review of recommendations from CWP-20; FISHSTAT; vessel size measurement for statistical purposes (Vessel length, Loa, Lp-p,); aquaculture statistics; fishery data quality indicators; recommendations relating to CWP from the FAO Expert Consultation on Data Formats and Procedures for Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (Bergen, Norway, 25-27 October 2004); and the 28 February-1 March 2005 Workshop on the Role of Regional Fishery Bodies in the Implementation of the Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries (RFB-STF Workshop).

"A publication of the National Research Council of Canada Monograph Publishing Program."