This three-day workshop was held to support implementation of FAO's International Guidelines on deep-sea fisheries (e.g. through global instruments and management practices), and to raise awareness on sponges' preservation and sustainable exploitation.

This document is the final report of the eighth session of the Scientific Sub-Committee of the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF), which was held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from 23 to 26 October 2018. The SSC was immediately preceeded by a one-day meeting, on 22 October, on the EAF-Nansen Programme and upcoming survey related activities in the CECAF region. Major topics discussed were: (i) the reports of the assessment Working Groups on small pelagics and demersal species, as presented by the subgroups, and the report of the artisanal fisheries Working Group; (ii) fishery management advice in the CECAF region; (iii) reporting on the state of resources for the CECAF area and considerations for a revised advice framework; (iv) overview and coordination of ongoing research activities; (v) CECAF-FIRMS fisheries inventories; (vi) overview of CECAF statistics; (vii) deep-sea fisheries and vulnerable marine ecosystems; (viii) report of work of other projects/programmes in the CECAF region, report of work of research institutions or scientific groups in CECAF member countries; and (ix) future programme of work in the region. Le présent document constitue le rapport final de la huitième session du sous-comité scientifique du Comité des pêches pour l'Atlantique Centre-Est (COPACE), qui s'est tenue à Abidjan, en Côte d'Ivoire, du 23 au 26 octobre 2018. La session a été précédée d’une réunion d’une journée, le 22 octobre, sur le programme EAF-Nansen et les activités relatives aux enquêtes à venir dans la région du COPACE. Les principaux sujets de discussion ont été les suivants: (i) les rapports des groupes de travail sur l'évaluation des petits pélagiques et des espèces démersales, présentés par les sous-groupes, et le rapport du groupe de travail sur la pêche artisanale; (ii) avis de gestion de la pêche dans la région du COPACE; (iii) rendre compte de l'état des ressources pour la zone COPACE et des considérations pour un cadre d'avis révisé; (iv) aperçu et coordination des activités de recherche en cours; (v) inventaires des pêcheries CECAF-FIRMS; (vi) aperçu des statistiques du COPACE; (vii) pêche hauturière et écosystèmes marins vulnérables; (viii) rapport sur les travaux d'autres projets / programmes dans la région du COPACE, rapport sur les travaux d'institutions de recherche ou de groupes scientifiques dans les pays membres du COPACE; et (ix) programme de travail futur dans la région.

The Workshop reviewed available information on national, institutional and personal experiences in relation to this issue. Relevant ecological considerations were reviewed and suggestions as how to consider these issues in terms of International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-sea Fisheries in the High Seas were discussed and documented.

The goals of the expert consultation were to advise FAO on the development and implementation of a global record of fishing vessels and to respond to the request from FAO's Committee on Fisheries to further develop the concept as described in the feasibility study. A comprehensive global record, a potential additional tool to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, is envisioned as a global database gathering data from many sources in one location.--Publisher's description

As expressed in various international fora, as well as in global and regional instruments, encounter protocols and impact assessments are crucial for protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems from the impacts of bottom fishing activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This workshop report covers experiences and lessons learned in the development and implementation of these types of protocols and assessments. It identifies challenges in their implementation, relating for example to capacity, costs and timing, and has developed a suite of key messages for both concepts that will inform further regional and global discussions on the use of these tools.