Legislating for an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is complex, due to the holistic nature of EAF involving multiple factors that underpin the social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of fisheries sustainability. These factors include ecosystems integration, risks, inter-sectoral collaboration, research, participatory processes, monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, among others. To assess how an EAF is being implemented through national policy and legal frameworks, FAO developed "A diagnostic tool for implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries through national policy and legal frameworks". The present legal report on the EAF used the diagnostic tool to assess the alignment of selected policy and legal instruments of Togo with an EAF. This assessment analysed the extent to which 82 EAF legal requirements, which are considered the minimum standards in legislating for an EAF, are reflected in Togo's policies and legislation relevant to the fisheries sector of the country and other relevant sectors (such as environment, wildlife, ecosystems, and maritime affairs). Based on this preliminary diagnosis, gaps were identified in the assessed instruments, and recommendations were made for improving the implementation of an EAF. This report was elaborated following a participatory approach with the involvement of the national competent authorities of Togo. Drafted in July 2021, the report was submitted to the national authorities of Togo in October 2021. The Ministère de l'économie maritime, de la pêche et de la protection côtière (MEMPPC) [Ministry of Maritime Economy, Fisheries and Coastal Protection] endorsed this EAF Legal Report of Togo in December 2021.

Legislating for the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is complex, due to the holistic nature of the EAF involving multiple factors that underpin the social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of fisheries sustainability. These factors include ecosystems integration, risks, intersectoral collaboration, research, participatory processes, monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, among others. To assess how the EAF is being implemented through national policy and legal frameworks, FAO developed A diagnostic tool for implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries through national policy and legal frameworks. The present legal report on the EAF used the diagnostic tool to assess the alignment of selected policy and legal instruments of Sierra Leone with the EAF. This assessment analysed the extent to which 82 EAF legal requirements, which are considered the minimum standards in legislating for the EAF, are reflected in Sierra Leone's policies and legislation relevant to the fisheries sector of the country and other relevant sectors (such as environment, wildlife, ecosystems, and maritime affairs). Based on this preliminary diagnosis, gaps were identified in the assessed instruments, and recommendations were made for improving the implementation of the EAF. This report was elaborated following a participatory approach with the involvement of the national competent authorities of Sierra Leone. Drafted in July 2021, the report was submitted to the national authorities of Sierra Leone in October 2021, and further revised and resubmitted in November 2022. The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Sierra Leone revised and endorsed this EAF Legal Report in February 2023.

Legislating for the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is complex, due to the holistic nature of the EAF involving multiple factors that underpin the social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of fisheries sustainability. These factors include ecosystems integration, risks, inter-sectoral collaboration, research, participatory processes, monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, among others. To assess how the EAF is being implemented through national policy and legal frameworks, FAO developed A diagnostic tool for implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries through national policy and legal frameworks. The present legal report on the EAF used the diagnostic tool to assess the alignment of selected policy and legal instruments of Guinea-Bissau with the EAF. This assessment analysed the extent to which 82 EAF legal requirements, which are considered the minimum standards in legislating for the EAF, are reflected in Guinea-Bissau's policies and legislation relevant to the fisheries sector of the country and other relevant sectors (such as environment, wildlife, ecosystems, and maritime affairs). Based on this preliminary diagnosis, gaps were identified in the assessed instruments, and recommendations were made for improving the implementation of the EAF This report was elaborated following a participatory approach with the involvement of the national competent authorities of Guinea-Bissau. Drafted in July 2021, the report was submitted to the national authorities of Guinea-Bissau in October 2021. The Ministry of Fisheries, through its Secretary-General and Legal Office, endorsed this EAF Legal Report of Guinea-Bissau in July 2022.

Legislating for an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is complex, due to the holistic nature of EAF involving multiple factors that underpin the social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of fisheries sustainability. These factors include ecosystems integration, risks, inter-sectoral collaboration, research, participatory processes, monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, among others. To assess how an EAF is being implemented through national policy and legal frameworks, FAO developed "A diagnostic tool for implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries through national policy and legal frameworks". The present legal report on the EAF used the diagnostic tool to assess the alignment of selected policy and legal instruments of Ghana with an EAF. This assessment analysed the extent to which 82 EAF legal requirements, which are considered the minimum standards in legislating for an EAF, are reflected in Ghana's policies and legislation relevant to the fisheries sector of the country and other relevant sectors (such as environment, wildlife, ecosystems, and maritime affairs). Based on this preliminary diagnosis, gaps were identified in the assessed instruments, and recommendations were made for improving the implementation of an EAF. This report was elaborated following a participatory approach with the involvement of the national competent authorities of Ghana. Drafted in July 2021, the report was submitted to the national authorities of Ghana in October 2021. The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development of Ghana and the Fisheries Commission endorsed this EAF Legal Repot of Ghana in December 2021.

Legislating for the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is complex, due to the holistic nature of the EAF involving multiple factors that underpin the social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of fisheries sustainability. These factors include ecosystems integration, risks, intersectoral collaboration, research, participatory processes, monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, among others. To assess how the EAF is being implemented through national policy and legal frameworks, FAO developed A diagnostic tool for implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries through national policy and legal frameworks. The present legal report on the EAF used the diagnostic tool to assess the alignment of selected policy and legal instruments of Gambia with the EAF. This assessment analysed the extent to which 82 EAF legal requirements, which are considered the minimum standards in legislating for the EAF, are reflected in Gambia's policies and legislation relevant to the fisheries sector of the country and other relevant sectors (such as environment, wildlife, ecosystems, and maritime affairs). Based on this preliminary diagnosis, gaps were identified in the assessed instruments, and recommendations were made for improving the implementation of the EAF. This report was elaborated following a participatory approach with the involvement of the national competent authorities of Gambia. Drafted in July 2021, the report was submitted to the national authorities of Gambia in November 2021. The Gambia Fisheries Department endorsed this EAF Legal Report of Gambia in April 2022.

Legislating for the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is complex, due to the holistic nature of the EAF involving multiple factors that underpin the social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of fisheries sustainability. These factors include ecosystems integration, risks, intersectoral collaboration, research, participatory processes, monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, among others. To assess how the EAF is being implemented through national policy and legal frameworks, FAO developed "A diagnostic tool for implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries through national policy and legal frameworks". This second edition of the legal report on the EAF contains a revised analysis of the extent to which the 82 EAF legal requirements, which are considered the minimum standards in legislating for the EAF, are incorporated in the United Republic of Tanzania's policy and legal instruments relevant to the fisheries sector and other relevant sectors of the country (such as environment, wildlife, ecosystems, and maritime affairs). Based on this preliminary diagnosis, gaps were identified in the assessed instruments, and recommendations were made for improving the implementation of the EAF. This second edition of the EAF Legal Report of the United Republic of Tanzania is based on the findings from two missions carried out by FAO, with support from the EAF-Nansen Programme, to the United Republic of Tanzania. The first mission was undertaken in March 2023, when the first edition of the report was presented to the government and various other stakeholders, in Dodoma, and additional information was collected. Additional information was collected in the second mission, undertaken in August 2023, when FAO supported the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of the United Republic of Tanzania in launching the process for the comprehensive review of the 2015 National Fisheries Policy and the 2003 Fisheries Act, as amended in 2020, from Mainland Tanzania, at a national workshop held in Morogoro. The second edition of the EAF Legal Report of the United Republic of Tanzania was endorsed by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries in August 2023.

The basis of this How-to Guide is the identification of key minimum components for legislating for EAF (17 components that should be included in sector-specific legislation), the operationalization of those key components into concrete drafting steps, and the provision of relevant examples from national legislation, largely from Africa but also from other parts of the world. The review will also provide a synthesis of existing challenges and trends in legislating for EAF. In summary, the How-t o-Guide will assist managers by: • describing the component that should be reflected in legislation; • identifying the specific elements that need to considered in the drafting of legislation; • setting out answers to the questions posed as justification for the relevance or significance of the component; and • outlining the steps to take in drafting, with reference to examples that could provide inspiration.