Driftnetting offers considerable advantages over anchored or bottom-set gillnetting as it can be conducted by artisanal fishermen without any mechanical assistance and regardless of the water depth. The paper provides guidance for ypgrading of fishing technology in relation to gillnetting with emphasis on the needs of developing fisheries, advantages and disadvantages of various gear materials and appropriate fishing methods and technology for optimizing fish capture and fishing operations with driftnets. Simple and easily understood drawings of driftnet fishing gear and methods are provided for the benefit of the fishermen themselves. For teaching and training purposes, there are technical details and cacluations for rigging of driftnets. Information is provided on gear and methods used in some well-known driftnet fisheries in Europe and the Far East. Particular attention is given to the selction and calculation of material needed to construct a driftnet and the importance of safe operation.

Most of the major impacts of fishing on the ecosystems recorded around the world occur in the Mediterranean. This variety of interactions is due to four main interrelated factors: the wide range of fishing gear and practices; very intensive fishing; a high diversity of exploited habitats, ranging from shallow water to the deep-sea and oceanic domain; and high biological diversity.

This volume includes all the abstracts of the keynotes, oral contributions and posters presented by participants on the occasion of the Forum on Fisheries Science in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (Fish Forum 2018). Organized by the GFCM at FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, from 10 to 14 December 2018, in collaboration with technical partners, the Fish Forum 2018 is a first-of-the-kind event gathering scientists, researchers, engineers, academics, practitioners, managers and decision-makers from around the world to discuss and share knowledge on the latest developments in fisheries science. The material contained in this book of abstracts stems from the contributions received from participants and selected by an international scientific committee based on their technical quality and relevance. The abstracts are subdivided according to the three main themes of the Fish Forum 2018: Better science for better advice; Healthy seas and sustainable fisheries; and Economic analysis and technology for societal benefit. Each theme is introduced by a keynote presentation, followed by oral presentations and posters. These documents form the basis of the discussions held during parallel sessions and poster sessions of the Fish Forum 2018.

The volume surveys and discusses the range of current issues arising in the law of the sea from an Asian-Pacific perspective. There have been major developments in the law of the sea in the region: many current controversies (e.g. over archipelagic sealanes passage, drift-net fishing and environmental management) have their origins, or important exemplars, in the region. The contributors include international lawyers, political scientists and government officials with expertise in the region. Particular aspects of the book which are of interest are: (a) its discussion of the perspectives of particular countries in the region (East Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands); (b) its focus on issues of the marine environment and fisheries, including drift-net fishing; (c) discussion of specific developments which are of general interest (the Torres Strait Treaty and its implementation, maritime-confidence-building measures, dispute resolution); and (d) an overview of issues relating to high seas freedoms, including in particular transit through straits and archipelagoes. There is a concluding essay by the editors summarizing the various trends.

For small-scale fisheries around the world, the Blue Growth and Blue Economy initiatives may provide sustainable development, but only insofar as they align with the global consensus enshrined in the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. If states do nothing to fulfill the promises they made when they endorsed these guidelines in 2014, the Blue Economy will come at a loss for small-scale fisheries and further their marginalization in the ocean economy. Under the umbrella of Blue Justice, this book demonstrates that these risks are real and must be considered as states implement their sustainable ocean development plans. These are human rights issues, which are embedded into governance principles and institutions and which make a difference for small-scale fisheries people in their daily lives. In stressing the importance of policies and institutions that build on the experiences of small-scale fisheries people in the contexts in which they operate, this book draws on case studies of small-scale fisheries from countries on all continents to clarify what Blue Justice entails for small-scale fisheries and make suggestions for real change. “Through the Blue Justice paradigm, this book flags the relevance of recognizing the potential impact that different factors, including the Blue Economy approach, could bring to fishing communities, their livelihoods, cultural traditions, and other potential multidimensional conflicts. Vulnerability in fishing communities can increase and inequalities can be reinforced at different levels if individuals and community capabilities are not strengthened... A first of its kind, not to be missed, this book is informative, purposeful, and pertinent in an era of change”. Silvia Salas, CINVESTAV, Marine Resources Department, Mérida, Mexico "The studies reveal that Blue Justice is a ‘governability’ issue, which requires establishing ‘right’ institutions, that are transdisciplinary (integrated), participatory, and holistic. It is implicit from these writings that the SSF Guidelines and Blue Growth initiatives do not form two different discourses, and that the implementation of the former would resolve many of the justice issues caused by the latter, in favor of small-scale fisheries and their communities". Oscar Amarasinghe, Professor & Chancellor, Ocean University of Sri Lanka and President, Sri Lanka Forum for Small Scale Fisheries (SLFSSF)