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29 Nov 2009
Reference to Fisheries in Final CHOGM Communique

23 Nov 2009
Commonwealth Fisheries Programme Session at the Commonwealth People's Forum (Environment and Climate Change Assembly)

22 Nov 2009
Commonwealth Fisheries Programme event in the Commonwealth People's Space

21 Nov 2009
Commonwealth Fisheries Programme Offers 'From Hook To Plate' Report Free On World Fisheries Day

08 Oct 2009
Commonwealth Fisheries Programme Complete Final Study Tour

02 Jul 2009
Commonwealth Fisheries Programme present findings of Study Tours and Case Studies at the International Conference on Human Ecology at the University of Manchester

01 Jul 2009
Commonwealth Fisheries Programme Funds Development Projects In Sri Lanka, Tuvalu and Mauritius

02 Mar 2009
Commonwealth Secretariat Issues Paper On Fairer Fishing

04 Feb 2009
Commonwealth Study Team Calls For Revaluation Of Caribbean Fisheries And A Balanced Approach To Development And Food Security

24 Jan 2009
Caribbean Study Tour, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Belize

28 Nov 2008
Pacific Study Tour Results In Backing For Community Based Management Pacific Marine Resources

03 Nov 2008
Indian Ocean Study Tour in Mauritius To Address Sustainable Fisheries Management

04 Jul 2008
SADC Statement Of Commitment To Address IUU Fishing

15 May 2008
Namibian Conference Gives Commonwealth Fisheries Organisations A Voice

14 May 2008
Commonwealth Fisheries Programme Launches Namibia Civil Society Consultation

29 Apr 2008
Foundation Launches New Programme On Fisheries And The Commonwealth

NEWS

Commonwealth Fisheries Programme Offers 'From Hook To Plate' Report Free On World Fisheries Day

The Commonwealth of 53 nations, whose leaders will be meeting in Trinidad and Tobago next week, has a unique opportunity to stop the crash in world fish stocks and promote sustainable management. “From Hook to Plate”, an expert, up-to-date report on the state of marine fisheries from a Commonwealth perspective, has been sent to each of the governments as a call to action.

The authors conclude that the situation, where 75 per cent of commercial fisheries are being exploited at or above the maximum sustainable yield, is serious but not yet irreversible. They argue that proper implementation of controls on illegal fishing, promotion of marine protected areas, and community involvement in the sustainable management of inshore fisheries could turn round the looming desertification of the seas. It is time to stop the destructive “race to fish.”

The report calls on Commonwealth leaders to:

• Establish a Ministerial task force to deal with illegal fishing and sustain stocks, especially within exclusive economic zones

• Convene a Commonwealth fisheries conference, perhaps in conjunction with the meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organisation's committee on fisheries in March 2011, to share best practice

• Create a voluntary fund to build capacity in the fisheries sector, particularly for small island developing states

The Commonwealth Fisheries Programme (CFP) is responsible for this report to countries with an unequalled marine heritage. It has been conducted over the last two years by the Commonwealth Foundation, the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council and the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, with financial support from the United Kingdom and Australian governments.

Recognising the interplay between illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the sustainability of fisherfolk livelihoods, the CFP addresses governance of fisheries, transferability of successful practice, and underlines the need to better understand the contribution of small-scale subsistence and artisanal fisheries to Commonwealth national economies, as well as the risks associated with the breakdown of coastal ecosystems and fish stocks as a result of overfishing and climate change.

To celebrate World Fisheries Day this year, “From Hook to Plate” is offered as a free pdf download below. A discussion of the issues will take place at the Commonwealth People's Space on the Port of Spain Savannah, starting at 11 am on Sunday 22 November. A further opportunity to learn the lessons of the programme is at the Commonwealth People's Forum Environment and Climate Change Assembly, Monday 23 November Introduction and Session 1, 10.50am-1.30pm.

Download 'From Hook To Plate' using link below.

Interview with Azard Mohammed, Director of Blue Bamboo Cunupa Fishing Association

Azard Mohammed , Director of Blue Bamboo Cunupa Fishing Association, shares his views on participating in the CFP... read more

Interview with Bharat Patel, Director of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti (MASS)

We spoke to Bharat Patel, Director of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti (MASS) - a trade union for fish... read more