Progress report for
Prohibition of Destructive Offshore Fishing Practices
Achievement at a glance
Deliverable 1 - "Incorporate the elimination of destructive fishing practices into the national Oceans agenda.": Fisheries laws prohibit destructive fishing practices. These practices relate to certain fishing gear or methods.<br>Gear: Prohibition on use of any driftnet fishing gear (S. 25 of Offshore Fisheries Management Act and Regulation 6 of its Regulations)
<br>Method: Prohibition on use of demersal trawlers (deep-sea and seafloor net fishing).
<br>Laws have provided the basis for this commitment.
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<br>Deliverable 2- "Develop appropriate regional adoption measures, including practical enforcement mechanisms to deter the use of destructive fishing practices.": ongoing, including the possible need for inclusion into existing joint-surveillance/enforcement operations. Regional adoption measures may be considered through processes occurring under the WCPFC as the Commission of the western and central Pacific ocean relating to fishing. This could require lobbying through the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) processes, or other possibilities, including political, channels.
Challenges faced in implementation
Post-conference saw various agencies return to the normal, day-to-day, confines of work where there was minimal national coordination, albeit with perhaps siloed implementation or commitment-management, and where more needs to be done in order to evolve high-level Ministry policies that could strengthen and add meaning and value to the commitments.<br>
<br>This includes establishing new portfolios within respective Ministries, including technical arms, which can positively demonstrate a visible work plan and operational structure that unites all the way to the UN and voluntary commitments
Beneficiaries
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