The second session of the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission was attended by delegates from Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, the Republic of Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen. Representatives of The World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Swedish Board of Fisheries, the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP), the Regional Seas Program of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI), New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) also attended the session as observers. The Commission noted the work undertaken since the first session, considered the report of the Scientific Committee, agreed on a set of recommendations, approved the establishment of Working Group on Fisheries Data and Statistics, and agreed to link with the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP) through a Committee to be established within the Commission. The Commission will hold a regional conference on "Sustainable fisheries development and its contribution to the Millennium Development Goals" within two years; the key topics of the Conference were decided. The Commission agreed to renew its efforts to engage on-going national and regional monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) activities and assist with a regional directory of MCS personnel. It elected a Bureau composed of Seychelles, Madagascar and Mozambique to steer the Commission intersessionally and at the third session which will take place in Seychelles in 2007.--Publisher's description.

This document is the final report of the Intergovernmental Consultation of the establishment of the Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission, which was held in St Denis (Reunion), in February 2001. A draft agreement for the establishment of a regional fisheries body in the Southwest Indian Ocean was reviewed. The major items of discussion were the area of competence, membership, functions and finance of the regional body. Eight members of the former Committee for the Development and Management of Fisheries in the Southwest Indian Ocean as well as the European Community were present at the meeting.