Introduction
Overfishing and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) are destructive fishing practices that have a negative impact on sustainable fisheries, livelihoods, and world fish stocks. In recent years, IUU fishing has accounted for a staggering 25% of fish of the annual ocean harvest and was valued at up to $23 billion. This value is lost each year to legitimate fishers. In addition to economic damage, such practices threaten local biodiversity and food security in many countries. An essential step for an effective management of fish resources is the timely acquisition of information on vessels, stocks and catches as well as the exchange of such information between stakeholders.
To address this, UNECE established the Team of Specialists on Sustainable Fisheries, which promotes, facilitates and supports the implementation of sustainable fisheries standards on a global scale, particularly the Fisheries Language for Universal Exchange (UN/FLUX).
The third session of the Team of Specialists on Sustainable Fisheries is scheduled to take place in Geneva on 4 February 2020. Participation in this session will be a key opportunity to be involved in ongoing work and setting the Team’s future agenda.
The UNECE Secretariat welcomes key stakeholders from all United Nations Member States to work closely to support the development, enhancement and maintenance of sustainable fishery management practices. As the UN/FLUX standard is adopted by more and more countries, the Team of Specialists is playing a growing role in the fight against IUU.
The Team of Specialists is open to experts with the knowledge and experience to address its mandate, and should be drawn from governmental institutions, business, civil society, consumer organizations, and international organizations.