International Small-scale Fisheries Guidelines - Views from Regional Organisations

In 2011 the FAO Committee on Fisheries recommended the development of international guidelines on small-scale fisheries ('Guidelines') based on the increasing recognition of small-scale fisheries as a principal contributor to poverty alleviation and food. The objective of the Guidelines is to provide information, advise and recommendations and to establish principles and criteria to assist States and stakeholders to achieve secure and sustainable small-scale fisheries and related livelihoods. The Guidelines are developed through a consultative process involving governments, regional organisations, civil society organizations, small-scale fishers, fish workers and their communities. In February 2012 FAO convened an expert workshop on International guidelines on securing sustainable small-scale fisheries and workshop participants were asked to talk about the importance of small-scale fisheries in their country/for their institution and about the relevance of the new Guidelines. http://www.fao.org/fishery/ssf/guidel... (©FAO www.fao.org)