The Technical Consultation made major recommendations on how to strengthen international cooperation on managing fishing capacity and combating IUU fishing. It also asked FAO to undertake a series of actions to facilitate effective and full implementation of these two IPOAs. Noting in particular and ongoing build-up of capacity in tuna fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean, the Technical Consultation suggested that governments in the region should lend priority attention to addressing the situation, including halting introductions of additional large-scale fishing vessels.

The IOPA-IUU is a voluntary instrument that applies to all States and entities and to all fishers. Following the IPOA's introduction, the nature and scope of IUU fishing is addressed. This is followed by the IPOA's objective and principles and the implementation of measures to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. These measures focus on all State responsibilities, flag State responsibilities, coastal State measures, port State measures, internationally agreed market-related measures, research and regional fisheries management organizations. Special requirements of developing countries are then considered, followed by reporting requirements and the role of FAO.

This publication considers issues related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Mediterranean region, for discussion at the 28th session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean held in Tangiers, Morocco in October 2003. Topics examined include the role of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), management of fishing capacity, especially as contained in International Plans of Action (IPOAs), the adoption of national plans of action (NPOAs), and the activities of the EU Fisheries Council on IUU fishing.

The purpose of the Workshop was to assist countries in the Pacific Islands subregion to develop capacity to elaborate national plans of action to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (NPOAs-IUU). The Workshop addressed issues relating to: the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the 2001 International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU) and FAO Fisheries Technical Guidelines No. 9 that have been developed to support the implementation of the IPOA-IUU; concepts of planning and the elaboration of action plans; decision-making about IUU fishing; and skills enhancement through the identification of key issues relating to the elaboration of NPOAs-IUU, the primary vehicle by which the IPOA- IUU will be implemented by countries.

The consultation worked under the terms agreed by the twenty-fifth session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), which established that attention should be given to a practical mandate to consider the effect of subsidies on fisheries resources, such as effects on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and overcapacity, taking into account the impact of subsidies on sustainable development, trade in fish and fishery products, food security, social security and poverty alleviation, especially in the context of recognizing the special needs of developing countries and Small Islands Developing States as recognized in international instruments.

The purpose of the workshop was to assist countries in the subregion to develop capacity to elaborate national plans of action to prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (NPOAs-IUU). The Workshop addressed issues relating to the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the 2001 FAO International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU) and the Fisheries Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries No. 9 that have been developed to support the implementation of the IOPA-IUU; decision-making abound IUU fishing and skills enhancement through the identification of key issues relating to the elaboration of NOPA-IUU, the primary vehicle by which the IPOA-IUU will be implemented by countries.--Publisher's description.

This workshop was organised to assist countries in the southern and eastern Africa region to develop capacity in order to elaborate national plans of action to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (NPOAs-IUU). It also considered the International Plan of Action, its technical guideline and related issues. Working groups were formed to encourage maximum participation, and other topics discussed included ways of improving collaboration and identifying regional priorities.