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The issue of managing fishing capacity has been
raised in light of a growing concern on the
spreading phenomenon of excessive fishing inputs
and overcapitalization in world fisheries.
Excessive fishing capacity is largely responsible
for the degradation of fishery resources, the
dissipation of food production potential and
significant economic waste. This is especially seen
in the form of redundant fishing inputs and the
overfishing of most valued fish stocks. The origin
of excess fishing capacity stems essentially from
the widespread tendency of overinvestment and
overfishing under open-access conditions.
The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible
Fisheries recognizes that excessive fishing
capacity threatens the world's fishery resources
and thus their ability to provide sustainable
catches and benefits to fishers and consumers. In
Article 6.3, it is recommended that
"States should prevent overfishing and excess
fishing capacity and should implement management
measures to ensure that fishing effort is
commensurate with the productive capacity of the
fishery resources and their sustainable
utilization".
The International Plan of Action for the
Management of Fishing Capacity (IPOA) was
elaborated within the framework of the Code of
Conduct as an element of fisheries conservation and
sustainable management. The IPOA was adopted by
COFI in February 1999 and further discussed by the
FAO Ministerial Meeting on Fisheries the following
month.
The immediate objective of the IPOA is for
"States and regional fishery organizations, in
the framework of their respective competencies and
consistent with international law, to achieve
worldwide, preferably by 2003 but no later than
2005, an efficient, equitable and transparent
management of fishing capacity". The IPOA
specifies a number of actions to be urgently taken
with regards to the main section of the document:
assessment and monitoring of fishing capacity, the
preparation and implementation of national plans,
international consideration and immediate actions
for major international fisheries requiring urgent
attention.
Steps are being taken by FAO to provide support
to the implementation of the IPOA and to address
related issues. Selected initiatives are listed for
review. A Technical Consultation was held
from 29 November to 3 December 1999 in Mexico to
address issues pertaining to the measurement of
fishing capacity. Further technical documentation
for the measurement and management of fishing
capacity is being prepared. Work is also underway
on related issues such as subsidies and other
economic or financial incentives, and illegal,
unregulated and unreported fishing.
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