Le PRESIDENT: Le quorum étant atteint, nous allons pouvoir commencer nos travaux.
En l'absence du président du Comité des pêches, M. Lucas, Sous-Directeur général pour le Département des pèches, va nous présenter ce point de l'ordre du jour.
K. C. LUCAS (Assistant Director-General, Fisheries Department): I am sorry that Mr. Odero of Kenya, Chairman of the Committee on Fisheries, is not able to be here personally to deliver this report or the First Vice-Chairman, Mr. Verdugo of Chile. So on their behalf I will try to do my best in giving you a briefing on the results of the recent meeting of the Committee on Fisheries.
The 14th Session of the Committee on Fisheries was held in Rome from May 26th to the 30th, 1981. The meeting ended exactly one month ago today. The report was only circulated to you at the beginning of this Session of Council and therefore I will go into a few more details than one would normally do in providing this report to you.
The 14th Session of the Committee was attended by 76 Member Countries, that is the highest attendance so far since the beginnings of the Committee. It is also worthy of note that only 20 of those countries represented at the meeting were represented by personnel from their Embassies in Rome. The delegates of more than 40 countries were in fact Directors of Fisheries or Senior Administrators of an equivalent or higher status.
The Committee debated three main items; the first was the development and management of fisheries in exclusive economic zones; secondly, the utilization of fish and its role in human nutrition; thirdly, the work of FAO in fisheries during 1982/83. I will give you a report on each of those three items one ata time.
The discussion of the first item, which took place over two and a half days, was in two phases. First was a review of the results achieved so far in FAO's programme of assistance in the development and management of fisheries in economic zones. we call it FAO's EEZ Programme, for short. This programme was launched in 1979 by the Director-General. The second phase of this first item was the consideration of issues involved at the national and regional levels in achieving the rational use of fishery resources in exclusive economic zones.
In the 39 interventions on the review aspect of the programme there was unanimous, and I must say, if I may be allowed to, enthusiastic satisfaction expressed at the progress achieved by FAO in planning and implementing the EEZ Programme which delegates considered to be of long-term and fundamental importance for the development of fisheries in developing countries. In particular, the majority of delegations made special reference to their strong support and approval for the policy of decentralized delivery of the programme through a network of regional fishery bodies and the associated technical assistance units which are being built up under the programme. These are FAO regional fishery bodies I am referring to.
The Committee also expressed its satisfaction at the intensified attention being given by the Organization to the key question of monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries in economic zones and upon the introduction of cost effective enforcement measures. The holding of a recent Expert Consultation on this subject and the plan to have a series of regional workshops on monitoring control and surveillance principles and systems was welcomed by the Committee.
FAO was warmly congratulated by many delegations at the success it has had in obtaining extra-budgetary funds for launching the programme. For the first three years of the Programme - that is 1979-- 1981 - US$ 70 million of assistance will be delivered using extra~budgetary resources obtained from both multilateral and bilateral donors to the Programme. However, despite this initial success, FAO was exhorted by the Committee to make stronger efforts to further broaden and strengthen funding support to ensure that for the next five year phase the estimated US$ 147 million required for the inter-country aspects of the Programme - that is, the prospects involving more than one country - and the further US$ 60 million or US$ 70 million over and above that US$ 147 million required for related country programmes, that these funds would be assured to ensure the continued success of the Programme. The Secretariat advised the Committee that about one half of these amounts were already firmly committed for the next five years at the time of the COFI meeting, but of course the second half of those funds will not be as easy to obtain as the first half.
The Committee gave widespread and renewed support for the proposal made at COFI's Thirteenth Session and endorsed in a resolution of the FAO Conference of 1979 that FAO should organize a World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development. It was agreed that it was important that such a Conference should have both technical and high level policy phases and that the spring of 1983 seemed to be the most appropriate timing for such a conference, with the Fifteenth Session of COFI serving as the Forum for the technical phase, and with the policy ministerial phase following after a two or three-day week-end break.
On the second part of the EEZ item, the consideration of emerging issues at national and regional levels, the debate identified matters which could be considered for full discussion and, where appropriate, decision at the proposed 1983 World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development. It is not the objective of the UN Law of the Sea Draft Convention to provide detailed policy guidelines for good fisheries management and rational development. There will be the need for some international agency to take the lead and to advocate development of policies, practices and agreement to make the Draft Convention on the Law of the Sea viable from the point of view of the management and the use of marine fish. A clear role for FAO was foreseen here by the Committee.
Also stressed by some developing countries was the great need to develop their own competence and not to have to rely on other nations for the successful management and development of their fisheries, and FAO was looked on as an important ally for developing capabilities, both within and among developing countries.
Policies for management of fish stocks shared between countries, and the high seas between national EEZs was one important issue flagged for the discussion. Also policies guiding allocation of access to fish stocks between competing groups of fishermen, both within and between countries, and the development of cost effective systems of monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries were among the issues identified as needing substantial discussion at a forum such as the proposed 1983 World Fisheries Conference. So much for that first item. I have gone into some detail there because this is not all contained in the summary of the report.
The debate on fish utilization and its value in human nutrition was the second item on the agenda of the Committee, and it was warmly welcomed as a subject needing full discussion. The importance of the present and potential contribution of fish in supplying animal protein for human nutrition in developing countries was underlined. I might advise the Council that at present fish provides 25 percent of global animal protein supplies, but for developing countries this proportion is almost 40 percent on average and it goes as high as 70 percent to 80 percent in the case of some countries.
The Committee on Fisheries recommended that WFP's Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes take up COFI's concern that fish and fish products should play an increased role in WFP food aid programmes.
The important contribution of inland fisheries and aquaculture to local food supplies in certain areas of the world was also emphasized by the Committee.
Turning now to-the final agenda item, FAO's Programme of Work and Budget for the 1982/83 biennium, this was the subject of a lively and very constructive debate. I will not go into too many details here, since we have had two days of the Council session on this agenda item. However, I would like to mention one or two points.
First, there was unanimous support and approval for the general thrust of the Programme of Work and also for the detailed listing of work priorities which was in the documentation provided for the Committee s consideration.
There are two points worthy of special reference. A number of delegations expressed their concern at the relatively small Regular Programme budget allocation proposed for work in fisheries and felt that it inadequately reflected the greatly increased responsibilities of FAO for fisheries and that these funds were insufficient for the Organization to provide the support in fisheries required and expected from it by member countries.
The second point is that there was general support for a request that future presentations for the Programme of Work and Budget should contain even more information and that in planning future sessions of COFI the possibility should be considered of timing such sessions so that the Committee could have an earlier opportunity to influence the preparation of the Programme of Work and Budget.
That is the end of my introduction. As stated in document CL 79/7 there are no matters in this report for decision by the Committee. These items that have been reported are for your information and, I presume and hope, for the general endorsement of the Committee.
LE PRESIDENT: La discussion est maintenant ouverte en ce qui concerne ce point de l'ordre du jour.
J. SCHERER (Germany, Federal Republic of): The report of the Committee on Fisheries in document CL 79/7 gives a comprehensive survey of all aspects which are important for the development of fisheries in the fishery zones of developing countries. We can agree with this report.
Allow me to stress two aspects. First, during the session of the Committee many developing countries have asked for more financial support for fisheries development. In view of growing economic difficulties in developed countries it is difficult to comply with these requests and to make more money available from international or national budgets. I should therefore like to point out that a close cooperation between the fisheries of developing countries and fishery industries from developed countries can be an additional, realistic and effective instrument for fisheries development. Developing countries with long coasts should be aware of the fact that the establishment of 200-mile fishery zones has brought them valuable resources and thus the chance to use them for their own development.Therefore a cooperation might be useful with fisheries of developed countries which have lost fishing grounds through the establishment of 200-mile zones and still have knowhow and fishing capacity available.
The experiences that my country had with joint ventures in the field of fisheries were unfortunately not the best. We believe that joint venture's can only be successful if the conditions take the mutual interest into adequate account and are of benefit to both sides.
Second, the establishment of 200-mile fishery zones has raised new problems also for many developing countries. It is therefore understandable that FAO gives priority to these activities. However, it seems to me important that on the other hand FAO's traditional tasks should not be neglected in the fishery sector, in particular technical assistance from which directly benefit, those who are involved in catching and marketing fish.
V. ISARANKURA (Thailand): My delegation has reviewed with great interest document CL 79/7 and we would like to commend the Committee on Fisheries for its policy guidance in implementing the programme of activity of FAO in fisheries particularly for the biennium 1982/83.
We note that the member countries of the Organization have placed increasing emphasis on fisheries management and development as revealed by the increasing number of member countries in attendance at the fourteenth session of the Committee. As one of the major fish producing countries Thailand has attached great importance to fisheries development, which is considered as an integral part of our national economic and social development planning.
My delegation has examined the priority areas of work in fisheries of FAO and we are satisfied with the priorities given by the Committee on Fisheries at its fourteenth session.
We strongly support the Special Action Programme of the Director-General in the field of fisheries, namely the intensification of effort to assist member countries to make the best use of fisheries resources in their Exclusive Economic Zones and, relevant to this, to promote cooperation of member countries in the management and development of shared stocks. My delegation agrees with the Committee's recommendation of the Organization's policy of implementing to the fullest possible extent Exclusive Economic Zones programme activities in a decentralized manner through the establishment of a worldwide network of sub-regional technical assistance units, reflecting the needs of groups of countries in "natural management areas". Specifically, my delegation strongly supports the work of the South China Sea Fisheries Development and Coordination Programme. We are convinced that this technical assistance unit has contributed significantly towards accelerated fisheries development of countries in the Southeast Asian Region. In this connexion, I should like to inform this distinguished gathering that my government will cooperate with this South China Sea Programme and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre in implementing a training course on fish stock evaluation and statistics in Bangkok this coming September for the benefit of the countries in the South and Southeast Asian Region.
We would like to see that the South China Sea Programme receives more support from various bilateral and multilateral donors to enable them to continue their good services to this important region of the world.
My delegation also attaches importance to the integrated fisheries development programme with special reference to the small-scale or traditional fisheries development and the accelerated programme for the development of coastal agriculture and inland fisheries. We consider training at various levels an important component in these development efforts.
Lastly, my delegation would like to express full support to the recommendation of the Committee on Fisheries that FAO organize a World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development in 1983 and to urge various potential donors to consider giving adequate support to the Programme of Work in Fisheries of the Organization.
Before I close my statement, I would like to urge Member governments to send highly technical people to join the session of the Committee on Fisheries in the future, and I want to stress again that I fully agree with the comments of my neighbour here from the United Kingdom. He stated the same thing yesterday regarding the Committee on Agriculture.
C. MUSZALSKI (Poland): My delegation would like to offer a few short comments. We have studied, with great interest, the document prepared by the Secretariat and we wish to congratulate the Secretariat and Chairman of COFI for good preparation for our deliberations today on this document. The Polish delegation to the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Sessions of COFI had supported the idea of creating a Programme of Assistance in the Development and Management of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zones as an important factor in the development of fisheries in developing countries.
At the above-mentioned sessions of COFI, my delegation stated that for the rational use of fish resources, cooperation of the developed and developing countries is necessary for joint exploitation in the Exclusive Economic Zones or to enable under certain conditions this exploitation by the non-coastal fishing fleet. Today my delegation wishes once again to give full support to this idea.
Poland, as a country with very limited possibilities in fishing within its own zone on the Baltic Sea, is very interested in cooperating with the developing and develped countries in the exploitation of the resources in their economic zones on such conditions that would be of mutual benefit.
Our delegation to the COFI Session had given information concerning the field of interest and had described the extent to which Poland can participate in the implementation of the Exclusive Economic Zones Programme. Therefore, there is no need to discuss it in detail today. I would only like to say that this offer is still valid, although its execution could be carried out on the basis of bilateral agreements between the interested parties. Taking into consideration the difficulties encountered by our fishing vessels in their access to the fishing grounds, we look forward to cooperation with those who have rich fish resources. Poland is ready to start cooperation with countries that have rich fishing grounds, and we can sign agreements and enter into joint ventures for fishing in their economic zones on the basis of mutual benefit, of course. On this basis, Polish experts and scientific institutions can provide specialized services which the declaration of the Thirteenth Session of COFI mentions and which would be one of the elements of the agreement.
The above-mentioned Polish proposition is in line with the FAO programme presented by COFI Document No.81/4. It could also serve as an instrument for promoting the exportation of fish from coastal countries having surpluses to the neighbouring countries suffering shortages of fish.
The Polish delegation shares the point of view expressed in COFI Document No.81/4 that assistance could be most efficiently implemented by the regional fishery body or similar regional organization. Therefore, Poland is ready to enter into a direct FAO-sponsored agreement with the particular countries. Poland can provide the developing countries with highly qualified experts in the field of fisheries who are employed at present in many fishery companies, fish processing plants and different scientific and research institutions. The Polish delegation is supporting the ideas and policies presented in the significant document, especially those concerning better utilization of the fish resources for consumption augmenting the role of fisheries in the nutrition of world population and the ways of raising the effectiveness of catches and lowering the cost of fuel consumption.
D.R.J. ABEYAGOONASEKERA (Sri Lanka): We participated in the recent deliberations of the COFI and made observations on several items in the Agenda which were important and relevant to developing countries. I would like however to emphasize on a few points which are of particular importance to Sri Lanka and to developing countries in general, as they face similar problems.
We agree with the programmes drawn by the FAO to assist coastal states in the development and management of fisheries in the EEC. The need to increase the size of resources and for steps to be taken to provide resources for exploitation are useful in the long run. The Medium Term Action Plan provides for specific projects for exploitation of deep sea resources and include action to conclude arrangements for joint ventures and commercial arrangements for the exploitation of resources. Assistance from the FAO in promoting such joint ventures would be most welcome. Similarly, we have mentioned the need for competent staff in the management, scientific and technical cadres. In regard to this, the FAO should make special efforts to train such cadres required by the developing coastal countries.
In the Long Term studies proposed by the FAO we agree that we require reliable resource data on which to base our long-term projects. While most coastal states have some knowledge of the resources available in the in-shore fisheries, resulting from their past experience in commercial fishing, a knowledge of resources extending up to the outer limits of the EEC will however not be available due to lack of experience. As mentioned in our intervention at the COFI meeting, these are the zones in which nationals have little influence, although it is within the area of the extended jurisdiction of the EEC. Even in negotiating terms with a foreign partner, the lack of knowledge of the availability of resources will be to the disadvantage of the negotiating coastal country. We would therefore like FAO to initiate on resource assessment similar to the proposed appraisal of stocks.
We would also like to refer to the decision to set up a Secretariat for the Management of Indian and Pacific Ocean Tuna taken at the Sixth Session of the IOFC Meeting held in Perth in February last year.
We offered to provide host facilities to this Secretariat in Colombo. At the 10th Session of the Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council, which met in May 1980 in Kyoto to consider our offer, we recommended to the Council of FAO that suitable action be taken to implement this. The Mission from the FAO which studied the facilities available in Sri Lanka recommended the establishment of the Headquarters in Sri Lanka. We would like this project to commence very early.
Similarly, at the Sixth Session of the IOFC, it was decided to set up a Committee for the Management and Development of Fisheries for the Bay of Bengal, since a regional project for fisheries development was felt to be a better project for the intensive development and management of national resources.
This committee will be the principal governmental forum for monitoring and receiving the overall fishing programmes of Management and Development for this area. The UNDP was also expected to fund a new project under this programme. Since the project has been approved, we would like to see its implementation as early as possible. Sri Lanka once again had offered host facilities for this project in Colombo.
In conclusion we would like to make a few comments on the proposed programmes of fisheries in the 1982/83 Budget. We agree with the priority areas already identified. The allocation of funds on the various sub-items out of a total of $ 18.1 million is considerably small. The increase of $1.3 million represents only 8 percent over the previous biennium.
If one takes into consideration the escalation of prices due to inflation, the actual delivery of this programme would be further reduced. When we consider the importance of the Fisheries Programme and the efforts that have to be made to improve the contribution to the economy from this sector, our efforts certainly deserve a greater share of internationally available resources.
ABU BAKAR bin MARMUD (Malaysia): I will be very brief, Malaysia would like to congratulate FAO, particularly its Department of Fisheries, for the good work they have done in the field of fisheries.
From the Report of the Fourteenth Session of COFI it is clear the main programme of work in the next biennium, 1982-83 is still assistance in the development and management of fisheries in the economic zones. This should be so because of the complexities of the problems and the high costsinvolved.
Malaysia would like to express its appreciation and gratitude for the assistance so far rendered by FAO, and for the more substantial assistance which is forthcoming to advise and help Malaysia to achieve optimum utilization of living resources in her own EEZ.
The review of the proposed Programme of Work for the next biennium as presented to COFI is acceptable to us, and so are the areas of priorities.
Finally, I would like to reiterate my Government's support of the decentralization of the FAO's technical assistance through the various bodies, which we find to be most effective so far. We would like to support COFI's recommendations, on the role of fisheries products in food aid, to be considered by the World Food Programme Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes at its next session.
A. DUARTE ROMERO (México): Después de analizar el documento CL 79/7 que contiene el Informe del 14° período de sesiones del Comité de Pesca, nuestra delegación quisiera hacer breves referencias a varios de los puntos en él tocados. Por lo que se refiere al desarrollo y ordenación de las pesquerías en las zonas económicas, recordamos que en el debate acerca de los progresos hechos a nivel nacional sobre un empleo racional de los recursos pesqueros en las zonas económicas, México hizo una amplia exposición sobre sus logros que se pueden calificar de notables en los últimos años; sobre todo, si como se asiente en el párrafo 39, la cifra total de captura en los países en desarrollo disminuyeron en 1980 con respecto a 1979.
Motivo de especial satisfacción fue el anunciar que la flota atunera mexicana casi triplicó su capacidad de acarreo de 1979 a 1980. Esperamos continuar contando con la cooperación de la FAO para seguir avanzando en la ordenación y desarrollo de nuestros recursos pesqueros. Sobre este mismo punto, y en relación con el párrafo 15, última parte del documento que nos ocupa, tal como lo dijimos en el Comité, consideramos necesario un procedimiento idóneo de intercambio de información que permita conocer las posibilidades de aplicación del Programa ZEE a medio y largo plazo, y que se faciliten periódicamente datos sobre el desarrollo y estado de avance de actividades específicas en diferentes regiones.
Por lo que toca al párrafo 20, relativo a un registro de quejas e informes de infracciones, insistimos en que es una cuestión que en todo caso podría debatirse en la Conferencia sobre el Derecho del Mar. Cuando en nuestro país son metas factibles el alcanzar una autosuficiencia en la producción de alimentos básicos y el mejoramiento de nivel nutricional de toda la población dentro de la prioridad otorgada al sector alimentario, en la actualidad estamos conscientes de que la utilización del pescado en la alimentación ocupa un lugar preponderante. Al efecto, como durante el desarrollo del Comité dimos a conocer, en México se lleva a cabo una intensa campaña con el objeto de que el pescado haga parte de la dieta común del mexicano; los resultados hasta ahora son muy satisfactorios.
Recordamos por otra parte, nuestro apoyo a la propuesta de que la FAO organice una Conferencia Mundial sobre Ordenación y Desarrollo Pesqueros, que podría ser un importante medio para compartir conocimientos y experiencias.
Finalmente, manifestamos nuestra satisfacción por las labores programadas por la FAO en el sector pesquero para el período 1982-83.
P. NG'ANG'A KAMANDE (Kenya): I will try to be very brief. My delegation wishes to join other delegations in thanking Dr. Lucas for the excellent presentation of the COFI Report, document CL 79/7, which is now the subject of our discussion. Having read this most comprehensive document, and having participated in its preparation, we cannot resist the temptation to comment on a few specific items which we consider relevant to our country and the developing countries as a whole.
First, my delegation wishes to reiterate its support for the Director-General!s comprenhensive programme of assistance to the developing coastal states in the development and management of fisheries in their economic zones. We welcome the new emphasis on delivering the programme in the form of a network of sub-regional technical assistance units which, in our opinion, constitutes the most effective way of delivering the benefits of the programme to the developing Member States.
We are fully satisfied with the progress achieved so far and we are hopeful that the process of implementation will continue at the same speed if not faster.
In this context, my delegation wishes to thank FAO sincerely for the assistance hitherto given to Kenya in the development and management of her resources.
We share the view expressed in paragraph 13 in the Report now before us to the effect that accurate resource assessment is a necessary prerequisite for sound management and the development of fishery resources. We also share the view that in order to obtain accurate assessments, resources surveys must be under taken on a seasonal basis in view of seasonal variations in fish abundance attributable to fish migration and other environmental factors. Since this procedure was not followed in some areas, and since resource surveys were not completed in other areas, we wish to request the FAO to continue with these surveys and to conduct them on a seasonal basis for the reasons which I have already given.
In order to maximize benefits accruing to a country from the resources of the EEZ, there is a need for the country to formulate the most appropriate policies and management planning for resources in the extended zone. Since this may not be possible for some countries, it would be appreciated if FAO would continue to assist these countries in policy formulation and fishery management planning. The mission oriented Technical Assistance Programme would, in our opinion, appear to be the most effective vehicle for delivering this form of assistance.
In order to be effective in the management and the development of fishery resources in both inland and coastal waters the developing Member states will require trained manpower in the multi-disciplinary aspects of fisheries management and development.
In this context, my delegation fully supports the resolution appearing in paragraph 17 of this Report on the need for FAO to mount regional and sub-regional integrated training programmes for both senior and middle grade staff who are charged with the responsibility of managing and developing fisheries in their respective countries. If this resolution is implemented the recipients of this kind of assistance will minimize the dependence on expatriates in the management and development of their fishery resources.
On the question of inland fisheries, particularly those of Africa, my delegation feels they should be accorded more attention by FAO in view of the important role which they play in providing a cheap source of animal protein as well as employment for the rural community. They also play another important role in supplementing the catches of marine fish, and therefore contribute to the maximization of fish production.
In view of this my delegation would like to support the views expressed in this report and in other fora, particularly the recent Committee on Inland Fisheries for Africa (CIFA) and the FAO Regional Conference held in Lomé in Togo last year on the need to initiate a programme for the development and management of the inland fisheries of Africa, preferably under the auspices of the Committee on Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA).
As in the marine fisheries sector, the programme should be delivered in a decentralized manner so that its impact can be felt by many developing countries in Africa, inlcuding those in East Africa.
My delegation fully endorses the recommendation which appears in paragraph 70 of this Report on the need to establish with immediate effect the sub-committee on Lake Victoria's fishery, which will be charged with the responsibility of managing the developing fisheries in that Lake.
We should be grateful, therefore, if the Council would adopt this recommendation and take appropriate action to ensure its implementation.
We are in full agreement with the proposal to include fish and fishery products as an item of the food aid programme. In this context, we support the proposal to include an item on fish and fishery products on the agenda for the next session of the World Food Programme Committee. If this is done, the recipient countries will have the advantage of getting a balanced diet.
We support the efforts being made by FAO in trying to find ways and means of reducing operational costs of fishing vessels, in view of the ever increasing cost of fuel. We also support the view that FAO should intensify its efforts in trying to find cost-effective methods of making use of fish discarded by fishing trawlers in the fishing grounds, as this could be utilized to solve the problem of hunger and malnutrition. We also support the view that future sessions of COFI meetings should be scheduled so as to precede the preparation of the FAO Regular Programme of Work and Budget in order to influence fund allocation for various fisheries programmes.
We support the proposal for FAO to host the proposed World Conference on Fisheries in 1983 as we feel that such a Conference would serve a useful purpose for promoting the rational utilization of fishery resources in the Exclusive Economic Zones.
In conclusion, my delegation wishes to recommend that this report, document CL 79/7, be adopted and its recommendations be fully implemented.
LE PRESIDENT: Avant de donner la parole à l'orateur suivant, je voudrais, en raison de la présence parmi nous de M. Othman, Ministre de l'agriculture de Malarisie, je voudrais donc, disais-je, au nom du Conseil et de tous les délégués ici présents lui souhaiter la bienvenue et le remercier de l'intérêt qu'il a bien voulu témoigner à nos travaux.
M.W. MOORE-WILTON (Australia): Australia actively participated in the 14th session of the Committee on Fisheries in May, and let me say at the outset . that my delegation is pleased to support the recommendations of the Committee and the adoption of the report contained in document CL 79/7. Generally speaking, my delegation is of the view that the FAO Work Programme on Fisheries for 1982-83 is soundly based. We do, however, have some concern that the Secretariat should provide more detailed documentation on individual projects and project evaluation to enable a more informed debate at COFI sessions prior to formulation of the Work Programme and Budget.
The need for adequate information is also relevant to my country's concern to ensure that expenditure by FAO is restrained at reasonable levels.
In conclusion, my delegation fully supports the holding of a World Conference on Fisheries in 1983 and will cooperate with the Secretariat in preparing for that Conference.
Mlle M. MUSSO (France): Je voudrais tout d'abord remercier le Secrétariat pour l'excellente présentation qu'a faite M. Lucas de ce très bon ,rapport. La France a suivi avec un grand intérêt les travaux du Comité des pêches de l'OAA et la délégation française souhaite faire quelques brefs commentaires sur les travaux et le rapport du Comité des pêches.
Le sujet central des débats du COFI a été le Programme d'assistance au développement et à la gestion des pêches dans les zones économiques exclusives, problème qui prend maintenant une très grande extension.
Sans passer en revue tous les divers aspects du Programme, je voudrais mettre plus particulièrement ment l'accent sur certains points:
Premièrement, la question de la décentralisation des activités du Programme ZEE grâce à la création d'un réseau d'unités sous-régionales d'assistance technique. Pour ce faire, on peut observer qu'un crédit de 2 695 000 dollars est prévu dans le budget de l'OAA pour le prochain biennium. Le montant des dépenses prévues nous semble important mais l'impact réel de cette nouvelle dépense sur le développement de la pêche nous paraît quelque peu aléatoire. Il nous semble en effet nécessaire d'être très prudents dans ce domaine et de limiter la création de ces unités d'assistance technique d'abord sans doute dans une seule région, au moins dans un premier temps et dans la limite des disponibilités financières existantes. A notre avis, ce n'est qu'après une évaluation sérieuse des résultats - ou même, pourquoi pas, ayons le courage de le dire - de manque de résultats, obtenus dans une région qu'il pourra être envisagé d'étendre ou de ne pas étendre - si cela ne s'avère pas prioritaire - ce système dans d'autres régions.
En outre, il nous apparaît qu'il n'appartient pas à la FAO seule d'assurer le soutien et la coordination des organismes régionaux compétents en matière de pêche. Aussi cette question doit-elle être étudiée avec beaucoup de précaution et aucune nouvelle initiative ne doit être prise avant de s'assurer qu'elle permettra vraiment une amélioration de la gestion des pêches dans les ZEE des pays en développement et qu'elle ne sera pas seulement une nouvelle structure ne sécrétant que dépenses, réunions, étudesibureaucratie, sans promouvoir la pêche et en faisant double emploi avec d'autres organismes spécialisés existants.
En deuxième lieu, je voudrais dire quelques mots sur une proposition faite par certains délégués concernant l'établissement d'un "registre des proclamations et notifications des infractions". Ainsi qu'elle l'a indiqué au Comité des péchesela France, comme beaucoup d'autres pays je crois, éprouve les plus vives réserves à 1'encontre de ce projet de liste noire (appelons-la ainsi). Il nous semble que la conception de ce registre suscite beaucoup d'inconvénients, son utilité ne semble pas évidente et les problèmes de juridiction et surtout de preuves qu'il susciterait semblent incommensurables. Mais surtout, ce n'est pas là à nos yeux la moindre des raisons, il ne semble pas que la mise en place d'un système de nature juridiquement contraignante de cette sorte relève vraiment de la compétence de la FAO qui pourrait, à notre avis, consacrer ses ressources limitées à des actions dont l'utilité serait plus grande, non contestable et directement productrice pour les pays en développement en améliorant la production halieutique et la gestion des ZEE.
J'espère, Monsieur le Président, que vous ne vous méprendrez pas sur mes propositions qui vous paraissent sans doute très pessimistes. Ce n'est pas de notre part une attitude négative car nous savons quelle importance prennent désormais les ressources halieutiques dans le développement de l'alimentation mondiale, mais c'est justement parce que nous pensons que les espoirs qui peuvent naître de l'exploitation des océans pour résoudre le problème de la faim ne doivent pas être déçus par des expériences malheureuses qui pourraient résulter d'un excès de zèle et d'une accélération trop rapide des activités nouvelles dans le domaine halieutique, que nous devons être prudents.
En troisième lieu, permettez-moi de faire une brève remarque sur le problème de la gestion des espèces migratoires des poissons. Nous souhaitons nous aussi qu'une coopération sur la gestion de ces stocks s'instaure dans les instances appropriées. Mais nous estimons que cela doit être fait soit dans le cadre des organisations spécialisées adéquates, soit plus largement dans le cadre de la Conférence des Nations Unies pour le droit à la mer.
Je souhaiterais aussi, comme quatrième point, faire un commentaire sur le paragraphe 21 du rapport qui concerne le projet de conférence mondiale sur la gestion et le développement des pêches. Ma délégation éprouve quelque inquiétude concernant la préparation de cette conférence. Il nous semble nécessaire pour que cette conférence ait une chance réelle de succès et ne soit pas seulement une des innombrables conférences internationales qui prolifèrent sur les sujets les plus divers et qui lassent de plus en plus l'attention de la Communauté internationale, que sa mission soit clairement définie, que tous les gouvernements soient associés à sa préparation, qu'ils soient interrogés sur l'ordre du jour et sur ce qu'ils attendent de cette conférence, sur sa portée et sur ses objectifs. En outre, il conviendrait peut-être de s'interroger pour savoir si, dans les circonstances actuelles, la tenue d'une telle conférence doit vraiment faire partie des priorités de la FAO et si elle ne devrait pas être quelque peu retardée, ce qui permettrait peut-être de la préparer d'une manière plus approfondie et plus sérieuse.
En dernier lieu, j'en viens brièvement à l'autre grand sujet qui a été étudié au COFI, les activités de la FAO pour 1982-83. Nous pensons que dans la mesure où les ressources consacrées aux pêches sont malheureusement limitées, il convient de choisir parmi les domaines d'activité définis au paragraphe 60 du rapport ceux qui sont les plus utiles et qui peuvent avoir un effet direct sur la situation halieutique des pays en développement. Nous serions heureux d'obtenir plus d'informations sur les sous-programmes du Programme de développement des ZEE, sur leurs coûts et sur les résultats obtenus pour chacun de ces sous-programmes, ainsi que sur les projets qui pourraient être présentés par le Secrétariat dans ce domaine.
Enfin, je ne veux pas terminer cette intervention sans indiquer que la France est particulièrement intéressée par les questions de pêche et qu'elle espère continuer à coopérer directement avec la FAO dans ce domaine. C'est ainsi que notre pays est prêt à participer au projet d'assistance technique dans le cadre du Conseil général des Pêches pour la Méditerranée. L'Institut scientifique et technique des Pêches maritimes est prêt à offrir son aide en nature, sous réserve bien sûr des possibilités budgétaires et des programmes de campagne déjà établis. Nous souhaitons que tous les pays intéressés nous présentent directement des projets précis que nous examinerons avec soin. Comme vous le savez, l'Institut scientifique et technique des Pêches maritimes coopère déjà avec de nombreux pays en développement et avec la FAO, et organise en France des stages de formation et des visites. Actuellement se tient d'ailleurs à Lorient, en Bretagne, un stage de perfectionnement en technologie des pêches maritimes à l'intention des pays de l'Afrique francophone, avec la participation de la FAO.
D'autres organismes français tels que l'ORSTOM, l'Office pour la Recherche scientifique et technique outre-mer et le CNEXO, Centre national pour l'exploitation des océans, fournissent eux aussi une importante assistance technique aux pays en développement et sont prêts à examiner favorablement toute nouvelle requête. Le CNEXO, particulièrement, développe ses activités dans le domaine de l'aquaculture. En outre, les écoles d'apprentissage maritime ainsi que d'autres établissements spécialisés,(par exemple les écoles supérieures agronomiques, dont celles de Rennes et de Toulouse possèdent des sections spécialisées dans le domaine de la pêche, de l'aquaculture, du conditionnement du poisson) accueillent chaque année de nombreux ressortissants des pays en développement et seraient prêts à en accueillir davantage.
Voilà les quelques réflexions que m'a inspirées la lecture du rapport.
LE PRESIDENT: Merci à la déléguée de la France. Je pense que vos questions ont été notées par le Secrétariat et l'offre que vous venez de faire a été certainement entendue par les pays en développement.
LIN GAN (China)(interpretation from Chinese): The 14th Session of the Committee on Fisheries focused its deliberations on the questions facing fisheries management and development in the EEZ, a topic that is attracting universal attention from the fishery circles. We would like to express our satisfaction with Document CL 79/7, which gives a detailed summary of the deliberations on the topic at the COFI session, and the introduction which has just been given by Mr. Lucas at this meeting.
Regular management and rational utilization of fishery resources within their respective exclusive economic zones by the coastal countries is of great significance to the preservation of marine environment and living resources as well as development of their own fishery production. For the moment, however, some countries are still in want of a whole set of experiences in management and an experienced technical force, and their related laws and regulations are not yet complete either. Under such circumstances, FAO has developed a set of aid programmes to render its actual support to the developing countries concerned. We consider this to be highly timely, and we support the COFI's proposal of holding a World Conference on Fishery Management and Development at the ministerial level after the 15th Session of the Committee in the spring of 1983.
We would also like to present our views on development of inland fisheries and aquaculture. There is a lot of work to do for each country, especially the developing countries, in this field. They can develop technical co-operation among themselves, exchange experiences, help each other and make up for their own weak points by learning from others' strongpoints. Four aquaculture centres have been set up successively in the Asia and Pacific region. One of the centres is located in Wuxi of Jiangsu Province, China, and is devoted to fish-breeding research and training. China's fishery circles are very much willing to take part in various international fisheries training activities, because these exchanges of visits can not only intensify technical co-operation among the developing countries, but also promote and develop the New Dimensions of FAO in the implementation of its field projects.
J.O. ALABI (Nigeria): We thank the Secretariat for the paper CL 79/7, and COFI during its conclusions during its 14th Session. The introduction of the paper by Dr. Lucas was very illuminating. We participated in the deliberations of the Committee during the last Session.
We would like to make a brief comment on the three sections of the report. We are agreed with the conclusions of the Committee as regards the assistance to countries in the management of the EEZ. Although many countries have extended their territorial waters to 200 miles, many of them do not have the capability or expertise to fish in this zone. This is why we agree with the delegate of the Federal Republic of Germany that there should be joint ventures between developing and developed countries to explore the fishery resources in these zones. We do hope that such arrangements will be to the benefit of both partners and should not be to the disadvantage of the developing countries. We appeal particularly for the training of personnel and local fishermen to make the exploitation of fish in this zone possible. We also appeal for the establishment of regional projects to exploit the zone.
We commend the FAO for its efforts to get donors for the development of fisheries in the exclusive economic zones. We thank donors who have financed various projects under this programme, but we appeal that more funds should be made available to satisfy uncovered requests.
We support the proposal of the FAO to organize a World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development in 1983.
Owing to the shortage of protein in developing countries the place of fish in human nutrition is a very great one. As Dr. Lucas pointed out, up to 40 percent of the protein supply in the developing countries is from fish. We hope more use will be made of this source of protein. We have observed, however, that quite a lot of fish caught in developing countries are wasted and we hope that greater attention will be made to overcome this.
We appreciate the attention and the programme thrust for the Programme of Work 1982/83. We agree with those delegates to COFI who expressed their view that the allocation from the Regular Programme is not adequate.
A. SOUGOUFARA (Sénégal): La delegation du Senegal félicite M. le President du Comité des Pêches pour la clarté de son exposé dans lequel il a mis en relief deux points importants pour les pays en développement. Il a mis en effet l'accent sur le développement de la pêche dans les zones économiques des pays en développement, d'une part, et sur 1 utilisation du poisson pour la nutrition humaine dans ces mêmes pays, d'autre part. Ceci constitue pour les populations de ces pays un moyen de lutter contre les carences nutritionnelles et la faim.
Mon pays appuie donc les recommandations du Comité des Pêches. Cependant, il y a lieu de souligner que nos pays en développement sont sous-équipés en infrastructures de pêche et, de surcroît, sont victimes de pillages énormes de leurs ressources halieutiques. En effet, des navires étrangers continuent d'envahir nos zones côtières au moment où nos dispositifs de surveillance des cotes sont faibles voire inexistants.
Par ailleurs, à coté du sous-équipement en infrastructures de pêche, il faut noter l'absence de chambres froides à l'intérieur de ces pays, quand on sait que la pêche artisanale y permet des captures assez substantielles.
Pour conclure, je souligne que, bien que la volonté des pays en développement d'agir dans le secteur de la pêche se manifeste de plus en plus, les moyens d'investir dans ce secteur demeurent faibles et le coût du carburant élevé. La délégation de mon pays soutient fermement l'idée qu'une coopération technique plus poussée dans le secteur de la pêche,particulièrement au niveau de la formation et de la gestion des produits halieutiques, permet aux pays en voie de développement de sortir de leur situation actuelle peu enviable.
LE PRESIDENT: Je vous remercie, Monsieur le délégué du Sénégal. Nous espérons tous que nos richesses ne continueront pas à être pillées et que la sagesse prévaudra.
M. TRKULJA (Yugoslavia): First of all I also want to thank Mr. Lucas for his quite customary eloquent introduction of the Report of the 14th Session of COFI. Regrettably we were unable to attend the COFI meeting, quite exceptionally, because at that time we had mobilized most of our limited expertize in the preparation of the WFC meeting which was held j.n the same week in Yugoslavia.
Now, of course, we are aware of the very important work of FAO in the field of fisheries, and I would also like to state that we feel that the Fisheries Department represents one of the lead units in FAO. It, with relatively small number of regular staff located here in Rome, proved to be able to render Member Nations of FAO substantial assistance. We are also equally aware of the unique role that FAO has to play in the world fisheries.
Whenever we speak on fisheries I want to stress two things. It is indeed fairly well-known feature of the Department of Fisheries, that it mobilizes large extra-budgetary resources and that the rate between regular and extra-budgetary resources is a very favorable one, though it may not be optimal. In this respect, we rather share the view expressed in the Committee that, if not in the next biennal, but certainly in future biennias, more resources should be allocated to the work in fisheries sector. We are equally aware and we appreciate very much the highly decentralized way of the methods of FAO in the sector on fisheries.
When we spoke the other day about the Programme of Work and Budget, we already expressed our full support, indirectly at least, to the fisheries programme. We also consider it is a very sound, and especially bearing in mind the special circumstances, i.e. that now almost one hundred countries have already proclaimed either EEZ or extended fishery zones and also taking full account of the fact that the demand for fish is increasing rapidly now and could be doubled in a fairly short period of time.
Now about EEZs, very briefly, we fully support the views expressed in the report. We feel that in the light of what I have just mentioned that other countries have already proclaimed their zones or extended fishery zones, the FAO has to set up its own regular programme as well as the maximum possible extension of the extra-budgetary funds for the same purpose. Here again we realize the problem of funding is a very serious one.
With regard to the World Conference, we already expressed our views. It is not for the Conference for its own sake, just to add a new conference to a fairly long line of meetings of that sort. We agree with the two phases in preparations starting with the spring 1983 session of COFI itself. Of course we are fully prepared to cooperate with FAO in the preparation for the Conference.
Lastly, I am not speaking now necessarily on behalf of my country, but I have been asked by a number of developing Mediterranean countries to underscore something that those countries already stressed in the COFI meeting, namely that the whole Mediterranean region, and that those countries in particular, are still in need of technical support, given the very special circumstances in the region. As I said, I wanted to underscore what those countries already stated in the COFI meeting.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): Nos ha complacido mucho que nuestro vecino de la derecha, el distinguido Embajador del Congo, nuestro Vicepresidente, haya sido exaltado muy merecidamente esta mañana a la presidencia del Consejo y le deseamos muy buenos éxitos en sus importantes labores.
El Gobierno de Colombia desea reiterar su apoyo a las actividades de pesca de la FAO. El informe consideramos que confirma la importancia que dentro del Departamento de Pesca y de sus actividades en general se les está concediendo muy particularmente al Programa de Asistencia a los Estados Ribereños en desarrollo para la ordenación y el desarrollo de la explotación pesquera en las zonas económicas exclusivas.
Consideramos que este desplazamiento de prioridades en el Departamento de Pesca es acertado y que corresponde a la evolución favorable que hemos venido destacando en relación con la forma como la FAO se manifiesta más activa en cumplimiento de orientaciones que tienden a satisfacer las nuevas necesidades y las aspiraciones permanentes de los países en desarrollo.
El párrafo 9 del documento recoge el apoyo que importantes representantes de gobiernos de diversas regiones del mundo conceden a esta nueva orientación de la FAO en el campo pesquero.
Bastarían esas declaraciones de tan importantes personalidades gubernamentales del mundo para contrarrestar las desafortunadas voces aisladas negativas de algunos representantes de gobierno que hemos oído esta mañana y sobre las cuales nos referiremos más adelante en esta misma intervención.
Desafortunadamente, todos sabemos que la FAO recibe muchísimas más solicitudes de asistencia dentro de las ZEE que los fondos disponibles para atender esas solicitudes de países en desarrollo, y esto confirma una vez más el interés y la necesidad de los países que se preparan a hacer uso legítimo del nuevo Derecho del Mar. Por ello proponemos que el Consejo apoye la solicitud hecha por el Comité de Pesca en el sentido de que se procuren más recursos extrapresupuestarios o de otras fuentes para que este Programa pueda atender, en la mayor medida posible, las solicitudes que reciba.
Tomamos nota de que el PNUD y otras fuentes hasta ahora están en condiciones de financiar el 50 por ciento de las actividades de ese Programa, pero consideramos que es necesario que el Consejo apoye las solicitudes del Comité para lograr que no sólo se satisfaga el 50 por ciento de las solicitudes, sino que se lleve a cabo la totalidad de esas actividades.
Escuchamos con atención la declaración del distinguido colega de la República Federal de Alemania quien habló sobre la posibilidad de constituirse empresas mixtas, pero también señaló algunas experiencias negativas en ese campo de las empresas mixtas. No conocemos en detalle los casos a los que él se refirió; respetamos la opinión del representante de cada gobierno, pero creemos que podíamos estar de acuerdo en que se constituyeran esas empresas mixtas si éstas estuvieren dirigidas esencialmente a favorecer a los países en desarrollo, no a obtener, como lo dijo el colega de la República Federal de Alemania, beneficios para ambas partes, sino preferencialmente a que se beneficien los países en desarrollo, siempre dentro de la nueva concepción de las 200 millas y con pleno respeto de la soberanía nacional para evitar que las funestas experiencias de las compañías transnacionales se cumplan también en ese campo de la pesquería. Estoy seguro de que el colega de la República Federal de Alemania entiende el sentido de nuestro comentario, pues como ya lo dijimos en otra ocasión anterior, el Gobierno de Colombia reconoce que la República Federal de Alemania es uno de los Estados que se manifiestan más altruistas y generosos en relación con las aspiraciones y las necesidades de los países del Tercer Mundo.
La delegación de Colombia desea reiterar una vez más su apoyo a la Conferencia Mundial sobre Ordenación y Desarrollo Pesquero. Desde cuando esta iniciativa surgió no creemos que nadie haya dicho que vamos a celebrar esa Conferencia sólo por el placer de reunimos una vez más, ni que sea nuestra intención impedir que asistan todos los Gobiernos del mundo; de manera que creemos sinceramente que actitudes negativas y derrotistas expresadas esta mañana aquí podrían ser utilizadas más bien en sentido positivo para contribuir a que esa Conferencia se celebre bajo un programa bien definido, con objetivos claros y que sean de conveniencia común para toda la comunidad internacional. Nos parece muy bien que la primavera del 83, con motivo de la reunión del COFI, sea utilizada como primera fase técnica.
La delegación de Colombia quiere apoyar particularmente lo que han expresado los colegas de Malasia, país altamente representado aquí por su Ministro de Agricultura, lo cual confirma el respeto de Malasia por esta Organización; decimos lo que dijo el colega de Malasia, y también Kenya entre otros, sobre la forma descentralizada en que se debe llevar a cabo las actividades del Programa sobre las ZEE.
A este respecto estamos de acuerdo en que se lleven a cabo las actividades previstas para Africa en el Lago Victoria y también en el Lago de Tanganica.
Quisiéramos aprovechar esta oportunidad para preguntar al señor Lucas qué curso ha tenido la solicitud que hizo nuestro Ministro de Agricultura en el sentido de que la FAO envíe a Colombia una misión de identificación y factibilidad sobre un proyecto que han auspiciado los Ministros de Relaciones Exteriores de cuatro países: Ecuador, Chile, Perú y Colombia, a fin de establecer un Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras en mi país, en Buenaventura, Puerto del Pacífico, y Cali, con el objeto de aprovechar el potencial pesquero de la zona del Pacífico Sur. Sabemos que esta pregunta podemos hacerla en privado al señor Lucas, pero si la hacemos aquí en esta reunión esto se debe al ánimo que tenemos en el sentido de que experiencias como las nuestras puedan beneficiar a representantes de otras regiones que estén interesados en canalizar a través de actividades subregionales la actividad del Programa.
La delegación de Colombia atribuye también muchísima importancia al estímulo que la FAO pueda dar a los pesqueros que se ocupan de esa actividad en pequeña escala, particularmente a través del adecuado servicio de extensión y capacitación.
Sobre el párrafo 13 nos había parecido equilibrada la opinión del Comité tal como lo dijo el colega de México acerca de que convendría que posiblemente la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar se ocupara de los registros de quejas e informaciones de infracciones sobre pesca no autorizada; pero nos sorprendió la intervención de una distinguida colega quien de manera un poco agresiva, como disparando con cañonazos violentos, se refirió a este punto y eso nos demuestra que es apenas la reacción natural de la representante de un país que seguramente sabe de antemano que ese Estado va a estar incluido en la lista negra a que ella hizo referencia. De manera, pues, que estamos así asistiendo a la intervención de un juez que a la vez ya es de antemano parte sindicada.
Nosotros creemos que no vamos a insistir nuevamente acerca de que se elabore el registro para evitar reacciones como la que comentamos, pero de todas maneras conviene que en nuestro informe digamos que es necesario que se preserven, que se garanticen, que se protejan los derechos de los pequeños e indefensos Estados ribereños que a la luz del nuevo régimen jurídico del mar estén en condiciones de hacer uso de las 200 millas y aprovechar adecuadamente el potencial pesquero de que disponen. Si nosotros no hacemos esta recomendación, señor Presidente, a la luz de todas las discusiones anteriores que ya sobre este tema han tenido lugar en los dos últimos períodos de sesiones del COFI estaremos disminuyendo la importancia que atribuimos a los resultados de la Conferencia del Mar porque no estaremos, en realidad, procurando que esos resultados sean de utilidad práctica y segura para los Estados ribereños pequeños.
Vamos a terminar nuestra intervención con una nota que puede ser un poco desapacible, pero podemos asegurarles y usted, señor Presidente, lo habrá visto a través de la Sala, que no era nuestra intención, que no era nuestro propósito hacer alguna declaración sobre este tema. Hemos decidido tomar la palabra porque oímos una declaración que sinceramente nos parece insolente, muy negativa, muy ofensiva en relación con la FAO y particularmente con los países en desarrollo. En la primera parte de esa intervención se dijo claramente que no sólo la FAO se ocupaba de las pesquerías en el mundo. Nos quedamos a la expectativa de saber si se complementaba o no ya esa afirmación, inadecuada desde nuestro punto de vista, y luego, al final supimos que existía una serie de organismos, que nos dio la lista, que en ciertos países se ocupan también de todas estas cuestiones y a los cuales nosotros, pobres, humildes representantes de países en desarrollo debemos acudir en fila, hacer la cola como la hacen ahora los romanos y los turistas ante los héroes de Riace, para obtener la asistencia que necesitamos, porque se pretende negar a la FAO los recursos para que nos suministre esa asistencia, y esa actitud, esa propuesta coincide perfectamente con la política tradicional a través de la cual se pretende llevarnos tiernamente de la mano para que no escapemos hacia el mejoramiento y hacia el progreso, sino que sigamos sumidos en el subdesarrollo.
Nosotros creemos que no es procedente y que esto no debe aparecer en nuestro Informe, pretender desconocer la importancia del papel fundamental de la FAO en el campo de la pesca. Creemos, por el contrario, que hay que destacar ese papel y reconocer la importancia de la FAO y los beneficios que esta Organización viene concediendo a los países en desarrollo. La delegación de Colombia propone que el Consejo rechace los términos de esa declaración y que, por el contrario, al adoptar el Informe del COFI, reitere su apoyo al Programa en favor de la ZEE, sin que podamos aceptar que debamos limitarnos por ahora a una región. Quisiéramos preguntar ¿Cuál será esa región? ¿Europa, acaso? Y que, por el
contrario, la FAO debe estar cada vez más decidida a asistir a los países en desarrollo, porque confiamos que los trabajos sobre la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Mar, que desgraciadamente a ultima hora y en forma imprevisible han sido cuestionados por el representante de un gobierno, van a reanudarse en este verano en Ginebra, y culminarán exitosamente como lo deseamos.
Ms. F.H. HAWHAR HAYAT (Kuwait) (interpretation from Arabic) : I should like first of all to thank Dr. Lucas for the very clear introduction of document 79/7, the Report of the Seventh Session of the Committee on Fisheries, and I should like to turn especially to the second chapter of this document, in other words, the question of the use of fish and its role in human nutrition. For the last six years we have been carrying out the study of this matter in Kuwait. I have myself been dealing with this study.and we have tried to really see the share of fish as food in the daily diet of our people and the possibilities for its further use. The study covered large numbers of people, we have a large sample, and the results of the study were quite surprising to me, I must say, because when I started the study I thought that everybody in the country was aware of the nutritive value of fish, and unfortunately the results of this study proved the opposite, it proved that there was very little awareness of the importance of fish as a vital food and source of protein. The results of this study showed that fish consumption was based on a traditional approach amongst most of the people studied, and of course this made it clear to us that it was absolutely essential to carry out a campaign to try and explain to people the importance of fish as a food.
I could tell you at this Council that we are very concerned with the problems of malnutrition, of course, and we are very concerned with the inadequate levels of food production in many developing countries. We think that if FAO is to succeed in its struggle against hunger and malnutrition, it is important that FAO should give the fullest possible support also in this field of fisheries and the use of fish as food in developing countries so developing countries can increase their production of fish and their use of fish as food, but for this purpose we also need help in sensitizing the people to this, in creating as awareness among the consumers so that they fully appreciate the importance and value of fish as food, and this sensitization must preceed every other activity. First we must establish the awareness of the importance of fish for human nutrition, and once this is done, then I am sure we can have important projects to increase fish production and the consumption of fish.
Finally, we would like to say that we support the proposal concerning the holding of a World Conference in 1983. Of course, this conference if it is to succeed and achieve the targets which we presume must be well and carefully prepared, and we shall certainly do our utmost to help in preparing for this Conference.
J.M. SCULAR (United Kingdom) : I would like to refer to one or two points which have been made in the course of the debate : first of all, the question of the timing of the next COFI meeting, as mentionedby Mr. Lucas himself in his most interesting introduction. As we indicated yesterday on the COAG debate, we have something of a feeling that this particular meeting was too close to this Council to enable us to consider the important issues raised and especially the forward planning issues.
Therefore, we would favour a date perhaps some time after the Conference in the inter-Conferenceyear. Secondly, as to attendance, again we were pleased to hear from Mr. Lucas that there was a lot of expert attendance at the last meeting, a well-attended meeting, and Thailand raised this point in his intervention.
Now, coming to the question of EEZ's, I think we mentioned ourselves at the COFI meeting that we should not lose sight-of the very great importance of the 25 miles nearest the shore where many of the fish are and where certainly fishing is much easier. The preoccupation with the area beyond 25 miles, the 200-mile zone, may blind us to the idea of full utilization of the waters most easily utilized.
Then we come to the question of migrations species. It is unfortunate, I think, that the fish have not been called to the Law of the Sea Conference, so they know nothing of the 200-mile zones. Therefore, this is a very important subject for the Conference on Fisheries Administration, which we support, and it is also important for regional bodies mentioned by Sri Lanka who have an overview of migratory species like tuna and who are able to formulate their regional policy for those purposes.
On the question of existing catch, we have a lot of evidence that there is a great deal of wastage, and indeed Nigeria mentioned this in his intervention, that there is a lot of spoilage and wastage and much room for improvement in utilization of the species already caught. Indeed in our view, this perhaps takes precedence over fishing for new and exotic species. In previous meetings of COFI, I have had the impression that these species have one characteristic in common: they are difficult to catch and very expensive to catch. We had a debate some years ago about Krill in particular and to me personally, the only memory I have is that fishing for Krill was very dangerous, very difficult, very expansive and gave something which people didn't necessarily want to eat, so this is perhaps not a good way of getting out of our immediate problem.
We therefore feel strongly with China, that there is a great future for aquaculture where fishery can be handled, can be developed quickly and comparatively cheaply and where the potential of new yields is very great.
J. PEREIRA REÍS (Portugal): Mi país está de acuerdo con el documento CL 97/7 y con los puntos de vista expresados en el documento. Nosotros queremos señalar la importancia que la FAO puede tener en la ayuda para el desarrollo de la pesca en la zona económica exclusiva, ZEE de mi país. Mi país tiene una zona ZEE de pesca importante en relación con el número de habitantes y es por esto que nos interesa mucho este problema. Uno de los procesos para compensar la falta de recursos alimentarios que nosotros tenemos en el continente, Azores y Madeira podría ser por el desarrollo que obtengamos en los estudios y evaluación de las zonas ZEE, ya que al exportar pescado tendríamos las divisas para importar productos alimentarios que escasean.
Tenemos una industria de conserva de pescado, principalmente sardinas y atún, de las cuales ya exportamos una parte considerable. Hemos hecho esfuerzos para mejorar los conocimientos científicos de nuestra zona ZEE y para la modernización de los métodos de pesca, ya que aún se practica mucho la pesca artesanal. Nosotros hemos presentado un proyecto de desarrollo en ese sentido a través de la FAO/PNUD, pero aún nuestra delegación no sabe si ha sido aprobado.
J.A. GUEVARA MORAN(El Salvador): Nuestra delegación desea en primer lugar pronunciarse en el sentido de que apoya totalmente el documento CL 79/7 y felicita al señor Lucas por la excelente exposición del tema que nos ocupa. También queremos ser muy claros, muy precisos en el sentido de que sí consideramos que la FAO debe, está obligada por sus propias funciones a dedicarse a las actividades de la pesca en el mundo, ¿Porque decimos eso?
Uno de los puntos de mayor discusión durante esta reunion del Consejo ha sido el problema alimentario del mundo. Hemos enfocado en reuniones anteriores el punto fundamental nutritivo del ser humano, en el sentido de que no es sinónimo comer, de alimentarse, ni mucho menos de nutrirse. Y nosotros creemos que nuestros pueblos se deben nutrir.
En ese sentido, la pesca significa un rubro de gran importancia para nuestros países subdesarrollados, en el cual tenemos esperanzas de encontrar un caudal de recursos que nos permita nutrir eficazmente a nuestros pueblos. Por otro lado, no me explicaría ni encuentro la explicación científica, de por qué razón la FAO se va a dedicar a la investigación de los recursos naturales en nuestros países, y en ese instante se me ocurre preguntarme ¿y los peces y todos los animales marinos relacionados con la pesca, son recursos naturales? Por otro lado, también se me ocurre preguntarme ¿habrá un pescado cuyo medio ambiente no sea el agua?
Por esas razones, considero que también desde el punto de vista de producción, la parte puramente productiva en una empresa, para hacerla vertical así como lo han hecho los países desarrollados, pues está integrada, y cuando se logra la integración de todos los aspectos, de la ganadería, agricultura, pesquerías y la silvicultura, en ese instante estamos en posibilidad de adquirir un desarrollo mucho más integral e integrado.
Por esas razones, hay muchas más, pero por esas, nuestra delegación solicita vehementemente a este Consejo pronunciarse en el sentido de que la FAO debe dedicar especiales esfuerzos en este renglón. Quiero aprovechar esta ocasión para agradecer al Director General la ayuda que nos va a proporcionar la FAO a nuestro país, ayuda que tuve el placer de firmar hace ocho días en el despacho del Director General y que consiste en apoyo para el desarrollo organizacional y aspectos jurídicos de la pesca en mi país.
Quisiera, en esta ocasión también, aunque estamos de acuerdo con todo el contenido del documento, resaltar algunos puntos y principalmente quisiera indicar que nuestra delegación ve con mucho agrado los puntos que han sido contemplados en la página 6, punto 25 del documento, en donde se indica, y esto es lo importante, aunque consideramos que coordinación es palabra mápica, pero esto es -lo importante, la coordinación de la familia de las Naciones Unidas y de la familia de todo el mundo que nos asiste, en donde se indica que el observador de la Comisión Oceanografica Intergubernamentaldestaco la necesidad de contar con una base solida y científica para el desarrollo y ordenación de laspesquerías, y subrayo la importancia de ayudar a los países en desarrollo a preparar personal capacitado y a mejorar en general su capacidad nacional en el campo de la ciencia y de la investigación.
Sobre el particular, también algunos delegados han manifestado la conveniencia de que nuestros países subdesarrollados integremos esfuerzos para que mutuamente también, a través de nosotros mismos, logremos en esa forma establecer una cadena a través de eslabones solidos, fuertes, que procuren salir del estancamiento. En este renglón, quisiéramos también destacar el punto 30 de la página 7 en donde se pone de relieve uno de los aspectos más importantes de la pesca que se da en nuestros países, indicando que muchas veces se nos quiere relegar a la pesca de bajura, a la pesca artesanal, pesca que aún en estos momentos no hemos logrado desarrollar, y las condiciones de las cooperativas de pescadores artesanales o de los pescadores artesanales individuales son deprimentes, y es necesario reformarlas. Ahí está un punto fundamental social de la pesca, pero también tenemos el otro aspecto de la pesca de altura. Esa pesca que en nuestros países subdesarrollados ya nos llega enlatada, no más, y que también una gran parte de nuestra población no puede adquirir.
Recuerdo que la FAO hizo, hace algunos años, no recuerdo exactamente el año, fue hacia 1975, por el doctor Mallaret, definió en El Salvador dos mercados. Un mercado que estaba constituido por el 10 por ciento de la población que podía adquirir pescado a cualquier precio y venírselo a comer a Europa. Y otro mercado, que tienen que ponérselo a 20 centavos de dólar la libra para que pudieran adquirirlo. Ahí estaba centrado el problema. Esa situación se ha resuelto en el país y estamos en proceso de tener esas proteínas de origen animal para la nutrición de nuestro pueblo en condiciones de una adquisición para toda la población.
Queríamos referirnos también al punto 45' sobre "Aspectos jurídicos e institucionales". Lo consideramos importante y, por esta razón, hemos solicitado esa asistencia en la FAO, que ya conseguimos, y que se iniciará en el mes de agosto próximo.
Queremos poner de relieve el punto 48, en donde se indica la importante función que el pescado y los productos pesqueros desempeñan en los suministros de proteína animal para la nutrición humana, especialmente en los países en desarrollo; y el punto 53, en donde se indica que se identificaron los principales obstáculos que se oponen a un aumento del consumo de pescado. Creemos que hay que trabajar en todas estas direcciones.
Sobre el análisis a las actividades que la FAO ha previsto realizar en el bienio 82-83, considera nuestra Delegación que, de ser una realidad este planteamiento de ejecutar efectiva y eficazmente estas metas, vamos a lograr superar esos obstáculos que aquí se mencionan. Quisiera indicar que nuestro país ha sido uno de los pioneros, a la par con otros países de Latinoamérica, de las 200 millas marinas y, ustedes comprenderán, que un país de una altísima densidad de población con 21 000 kilómetros cuadrados de continente, tiene la expectativa de agrandar su territorio cinco o seis veces más y tenemos allí un gran recurso; por esta razón en nuestro plan de desarrollo agropecuario, en el cual la pesca es un subsector, hemos considerado que el subsector pesquero experimentaría un fuerte fortalecimiento en cuanto a su capacitad de explotación, por lo cual su producción aumentaría a un ritmo del 20 por ciento anual. El incremento de producción del camarón será propiciado a través de la aplicación de la nueva Ley General de Actividades Pesqueras.
Nos referimos a este renglón porque es el único que nosotros hasta la fecha hemos esquilmado, hemos sobreexplotado. Esto contempla la protección de los recursos pesqueros, tanto marinos como continentales, con el fin de hacer un uso racional para un mejor aprovechamiento.
Por estas razones nosotros vemos en el mar cinco o seis veces nuestro país proyectado, y creemos que allí está nuestro futuro. Consideramos también que el pasar desapercibido este punto sería injusto y por este motivo tengo instrucciones precisas de mi Gobierno de indicar que estamos sumamente interesados en que la FAO nos apoye fuertemente en este renglón.
Por último, queremos indicar que nuestra delegación, Sr. Presidente, también apoya que el Comité se reúna en la primavera de 1983, porque para esa fecha hay tiempo suficiente en donde todos nosotros podemos presentarle a la FAO cuál sería el papel que en cada uno de nuestros países la Organización puede cumplir, dado que como se ha explicado ampliamente tenemos la posibilidad de un crecimiento acelerado y sostenido sin detrimento para nuestros recursos y en coordinación con todos los países del mundo.
En este sentido quiero agradecer, en nombre de nuestra delegación, el ofrecimiento de algunos países. Nosotros estamos en condiciones de poder hacer cualquier convenio con cualquier país siempre que nosotros consideremos; que estamos en la línea de los objetivos que nuestro gobierno se ha propuesto.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie M. Moran, Ministre de 1 agriculture et de l'élevage du Salvador pour sa contribution à nos travaux.
A. RACHMAN (Indonesia): First I would like to join the previous speakers in congratulating the Chairman of COFI for his excellent preparation and interpretation of the Report, and we wish to offer a brief and general comment wich we consider of vital importance to coastal developing countries like Indonesia.
My delegation is in general agreement with the programme as presented in CL 79/7, especially with the priorities designed to increase fishery production, while enhancing prudent reserve management activities in order to safeguard our fishery resources from being depleted. We would like to underline the importance placed on small-scale fishermen and their needs for more effective technology and infrastructure to carry out their activities efficiently.
In this context, the potential value of intensified efforts to protect the inland fisheries is obvious, since many small-scale fisherman are involved in this project, and in view of the fact that the activities are limited for marine fishery in certain areas.
In relation to planning and policy aspects of fishery, my delegation is in favour of the endeavour to improve the collection and reporting of basic fishery data and statistics. The analysis of the existing situation based on sound information is an essential prerequisite for the development and management of our fishery resources.
We especially extend our support to paragraph 50 of the Report dealing with a low-cost method of making use of fresh fish, since Indonesia faces an acute problem in this connection, due to our substantial shrimping operations. Further, my delegation also supports the proposal that the World Conference on Fishery Management and Development be convened in 1983.
W. IIAJOR (Canada): Like other delegations Canada awaits further details of the proposed World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development. We feel that such a conference would require very careful planning. My delegation also favours the rescheduling of COFI sessions so that the collective wisdom of COFI and the other committees can be applied to the Programme and Budget cycle. We accept the premise of the medium-term plan that training is the most acute need in fisheries development.
Canada is prepared to give higher priority to fisheries in its bilateral aid programme at the request of the countries concerned. We would support further study of the notion of an international register of complaints if the less developed countries as a whole felt this to be useful. We also favour greater dialogue between COFI and COAG and the World Food Programme on the role of fishery products in nutrition.
We would agree with Australia that the programme proposals presented in future years could contain more information on programme formulation and evaluation. We could give clearer statements of expected benefits of the various activities to the intended recipients. We think FAO could also be a little less modest in presenting more evidence of its successes.
None of this is to find fault with the work of the Fisheries Division to date and we particularly compliment Mr. Lucas on his presentation to this Council.
Sra. Dra. M. IVANKOVICH DE AROSEMENA (Panamá): La Delegación de Panamá participo en la reunion del Comité de Pesca que tuvo lugar en mayo último. No habiendo asuntos para decisión del Consejo deseamos solamente hacer unos breves comentarios que iniciaremos felicitando a la FAO por los grandes esfuerzos que viene haciendo para proporcionar asistencia a los Estados Miembros. Apoyamos, una vez más, la política de la Organización de ejecutar en la necesidad de lo posible las actividades del Programa de Zonas Económicas Exclusivas, de manera descentralizada, como se expresa en el párrafo 12 del documento 79/7.
Mi delegación considera de gran importancia la asistencia ofrecida por la FAO a los Estados Miembros para identificar políticas y elaborar planes con miras a la ordenación y desarrollo de las pesquerías en las zonas económicas exclusivas, dando especial atención a la pesca en pequeña escala y a las necesidades que han surgido en el contexto del nuevo régimen jurídico del mar y del Programa de ZEE. Todos coincidimos en la importancia de la utilización del pescado y de los productos pesqueros en la nutrición de proteína animal, especialmente en los países en desarrollo. Apoyamos los Programas encaminados a la utilización del pescado como alimento en los países en desarrollo, incluyendo en los Programas aspectos de investigación y desarrollo y actividades de capacitación orientadas a la transferencia de una tecnología perfeccionada de manipulación y elaboración del pescado.
En consecuencia con lo expresado por nuestra delegación, al discutir el resumen del Programa de Labores y Presupuesto, concidimos en que los aumentos presupuestarios que se regatean impiden que se disponga de recursos suficientes para las necesidades que en materia pesquera se esperan y solicitan a la FAO, Esta solicitud del señor Presidente complementa los esfuerzos que los países en vías de desarrollo vienen realizando, bien sea a través de Programas Regionales o Programas de Cooperación Técnica entre países en desarrollo.
Reiteramos nuestro apoyo a la propuesta sobre la organización de una Conferencia Mundial sobre Ordenación y Desarrollo Pesquero en la primavera de 1983.
Para finalizar el Gobierno de Panamá apoya las actividades de la FAO en el sector pesquero para el bienio 82-83, así como las prioridades establecidas en el Programa de Pesca de la FAO.
M. KRIESBERG (United States of America): Our intervention will be brief but we did want to joint with others in the Council in commending Assistant Director-General Lucas on the excellent work of FAO's Department of Fisheries. We support FAO's programme of assisting countries in their development and management of their 200 mile fishery zone, and we think that this orientation of a COFI session in 1983 has merit. We also wish to commend FAO's twofold plan of action in respect of these 200-mile zones, that of immediate and medium-term technical assistance provided for developing countries, and the longer-term studies of scientific,technical and economic issues of fisheries management which are of benefit to all countries. The report of the recent COFI meeting is a good account of its work and we support its adoption by the Council.
S.M. CHOWDHRY (Bangladesh): Having had to be in the Drafting Committee for almost the whole of this morning, I missed the presentation of this agenda item by Mr. Lucas. However, from my past association with him in the last conference as well as in the original conference in New Delhi,and from what I have heard from a number of delegates here, I understand that he presented this item in his typically brilliant manner.
Having gone through the document CL/79/7, my delegation wishes to express complete satisfaction with the manner in which the document has been prepared by the Secretariat. We would like to draw attention to certain features. First there was concern expressed,'and I quote:
"Several delegations expressed the view that the allocations proposed for fisheries from the regular programme budget inadequately reflected the greatly increased responsibilities of FAO and the support from it required and expected by the Member Nations."
This is very important. My country, for example, is expected to derive substantial and substantive benefits from the programme of assistance and development of fisheries in the EEZ, and the FAO's role in this is invaluable.
Coming to the question of the World Conference, my delegation expresses support for this proposed World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development to be held in 1983 and I think this would benefit most of the member countries.
As regards the use of fish and its role in human nutrition, this is of special importance and we support the proposal for increased coordination with the World Food Programme with a view to using fish as a source of important food for its nutritional value.
With reference to paragraph 50 of the document, regarding fish waste, in my country there exist tremendous possibilities and potentials for fishmeal produced from fish waste but today, in the absence of advanced technology, this fish waste is going back into the sea, while it could be harnessed and put to better use so as to provide fish as an element of nutrition.
With reference to paragraph 20, my delegation would like to stress the importance of a register of complaints. I understand that this is a matter which should be left to the countries but having a register of complaints has its own value. If there exists such a register, countries such as mine, for example, which are subject to violations, could have the names of the countries or groups which tend to violate treaties entered in the register of complaints. This could act as moral pressure if any country wanted to enter into collaboration with another country, one could see from the register of complaints if that group had been mentioned a number of times, and this would be a reason for caution before entering into contact with them. I therefore feel that this could act as moral pressure more than anything else and that consideration should be given to this item of a register of complaints.
J.E. AKO-NAI (Ghana): My delegation attaches great importance to fishery development generally and in fact Ghana was represented at the 14th session of the Committee on Fisheries by the Director of Fisheries. My delegation supports the proposals contained in document CL 79/7 and commends Mr. Lucason the lucid and precise manner in which that document was introduced.
On the extension of territorial waters of countries, my delegation welcomes the operation of joint ventures in exploitation of the EEZ but will insist, or will emphasise, that this development and exploitation should be to the mutual benefit of both developed and developing countries.
On the development of inland fisheries, my Government attaches great importance to the development of inland fisheries because in the production of hydro-electricity my Government has embarked upon a project of constructing hydro-electric dams. One of them is already finished and another one is under construction while yet a third one is destined to start operating in 1983. All these offer a large and tremendous potential for facilities for multipurpose uses. These uses include water transport, water supplies for domestic use, recreation, but above all fishery development; and this is where my country will very much welcome assistance from FAO in the development of inland fisheries.
The importance of fish to provide animal protein for human consumption had already been emphasised by other delegates but in developing countries which have constraints, for instance trypanosomiasis and other diseases in the development of livestock, fishery development appears to be very very important in the provision of animal protein for human consumption.
Finally, my delegation supports the proposal to hold a World Conference on Fishery Management and Development in the spring of 1983 and I would like to take this opportunity also to say that my delegation supports all the proposals contained in the document, and we urge FAO to continue with renewed zeal in the development of fisheries in the developing countries.
LE PRESIDENT : Ma première liste est épuisée, mais la delegation française s'est inscrite pour la deuxième fois. Je vais donc donner la parole à Mme la déléguée de la France pour sa seconde intervention.
Mlle M. MUSSO (France) : Je me permets de vous redemander la parole pour une petite mise au point rendue nécessaire par certaines remarques que je dois qualifier de désagréables sur la déclaration de de ma délégation.
Je dois absolument réitérer que la France soutient totalement l'action de la FAO, non seulement dans le domaine halieutique, mais dans tous les autres domaines. Dans ma déclaration, j'ai seulement voulu recommander la prudence avant de se lancer, dans la situation actuelle, sur une grande échelle,dans de nouvelles actions.
J'ai voulu aussi souligner qu'il y a d'autres organismes qui s'occupent des problèmes de pêche, mise à part la FAO, qui sont, je le précise, et personne ne s'y est trompé, des organisations internationales dont la France est membre comme un certain nombre de pays ici présents. Je ne vois rien de choquant à demander qu'une collaboration fructueuse s'instaure entre ces organismes spécialisés et la FAO, au bénéfice des pays en développement.
Quant aux organismes français dans le domaine des pêches, dont je me suis permis de donner le nom, je crois sans vanité que leur expérience est importante, qu'elle est connue sur le plan international, et qu'il n'y a aucune honte à ce qu'à travers ces organismes mon pays propose sa collaboration aux pays en développement. La preuve en est que de nombreux pays en développement reçoivent de l'assistance technique de ces organismes et que cela est tout à fait compatible, à nos yeux, avec une collaboration fructueuse avec la FAO.
Toutes les bonnes volontés, d'où qu'elles viennent, doivent être retenues pour aider les pays en développement, et je ne vois aucune justification pour jeter l'anathème sur certaines formes de coopération, puisque les pays en développement y recourent eux-mêmes volontiers.
Quant à la conférence sur les pêches, mon pays y participera très volontiers avec efficacité et à la date qui sera finalement retenue. La France souhaite seulement que les résultats soient à la hauteur des espoirs que cette conférence soulève.
Voilà, Monsieur le Président, ce que j'avais à dire. J'aurais pu ne pas répondre aux paroles blessantes que j'ai entendues, et aux attaques inhabituelles dans cette enceinte, attaques peu dignes d'un gentleman, mais la race des gentlemen n'est-elle pas en voie de disparition? J'aurais pu me référer à la célèbre phrase latine: "de minimis non curat praetor", mais on m'aurait taxée alors à nouveau d'insolence. J'ai voulu, en répondant, réaffirmer le soutien de la France à l'action de la FAO. Je dois dire que je ne permets a personne de dénier la réalité de ce soutien.
Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.
B. SUSSMILCH (Communauté économique européenne): La Commission des communautés européennes a suivi avec beaucoup d'intérêt les travaux de la 14ème session du Comité des pêches et elle félicite le Comité des résultats si positifs et encourageants auxuquels ont mené ces travaux, en particulier des progrès constatés dans la réalisation du programme d'assistance au développement et à la gestion des pêches dans les zones économiques.
La Commission a traditionnellement soutenu des projets destinés à la création des groupements régionaux tels que prévus au programme d'assistance. Afin d'éviter la juxtaposition des structures concurrentielles, il faudrait pourtant tenir compte de l'existence d'organismes régionaux consacrés à la pêche créés soit dans le cadre de la FAO, soit indépendamment de celui-ci.
La Commission des communautés européennes est pleinement consciente de l'importance de l'évolution des ressources, aussi bien pour la planification des investissements que pour la détermination des volumes de captures admissibles dans chacune des zones nationales. Elle souligne les avantages d'une coopération dans ce domaine entre les Etats en développement et les Etats développés. L'attention spéciale qu'il convient de donner à la formation devrait également englober la recherche en matière d'évaluation halieutique.
En ce qui concerne le projet d'une conférence mondiale sur la gestion et le développement des pêches, la Commission des communautés européennes partage, à priori, tout à fait les motifs qui sont à l'origine de cette initiative. Pour assurer la réussite de cette conférence, il serait pourtant nécessaire de définir la mission de cette conférence de manière précise, et suffisamment à l'avance, afin d'être mieux à même de se prononcer sur la question de la date la plus appropriée, et pour pouvoir préparer cette conférence avec le sérieux qu'elle exige. Dans ce contexte, il convient de souligner que les travaux ayant le caractère d'inventaire, d'analyse ou d'identification des problèmes, peuvent parfaitement bien faire l'objet des activités des organes dont les tâches englobent précisément ce domaine. La dernière session du COFI en témoigne brillamment.
LE PRESIDENT : Avec cette intervention, nous en avons terminé avec le point 7 de l'ordre du jour.
Pour répondre aux questions qui ont été soulevées au cours de ces débats, et donner tous les éclaircissements nécessaires, je demanderai maintenant à M. Lucas de prendre la parole.
K.C. LUCAS (Assistant Director-General, Fisheries Department): I will do my best in as short as time as possible to deal with some of the issues that were raised that do require a response. I will try to deal in my response with the three categories of subjects that were contained in the COFI report but then I will have to have a clean-up afterwards of little odds and ends that do not fit into those categories.
Firstly, the discussions and the observations of delegates on the FAO Programme of Assistance, our EEZ Programme. There is obviously strong support for the strategy and the Programme content, and some good suggestions made on priority programme issues. One delegate did ask for more information on the Programme content and I am not intending to give.that now, but I would refer firstly to the paper that was tabled at the COFI meeting, COFI/81/4, which is actually quite a thorough review of the programme to date from 1979 to Ï981, and does in fact have an annex to it which lists in detail, year-by-year, the individual activities. This paper only lists inter-country activities, that is regional, interregional and global programmes. I could make that available to any delegation that needs it and I will give to the delegate from France along with a copy of our Departments project catalogue. We actually have the catalogue brought up to date every six months, showing at the current time we have about 240 programmes under way, about a half of which are in the EEZ category. I will make that available to anyone requesting to give details of the country programmes that are not contained in COFI/81/4.
A lot of observations were made regarding the proposed 1983 Conference on Fishery Development and Management. There was strong support for it. There were questions of caution raised about the need to prepare carefully. I agree completely with those observations. We have not made any announcements on this because, of course, whether the Conference proceeds or not did depend on the support which would be forthcoming in the Committee of Fisheries and from this Council but I believe from the support we have heard from this Council we now need to move into high gear on the preparations and planning. We would welcome suggestions for planning the agenda and preparations for the Conference which we can prepare rather well, I think, with a 2-year lead time. We would also intend to use meetings in the intervening period of the regional fisheries bodies and their subsidiary organs as fora for Conference preparations as well.
Several delegations re-raised the question of the register of complaints for transgressors, or alleged transgressors, of those who may be conducting unauthorized or illegal fishing in exclusive economic zones. In my introduction I did not mention the COFI debate on that subject. There was an active debate, I must say, on that issue, with strong but conflicting views expressed on both sides of the subject. Some delegations supported the proposal. However, a large number of others supported the Secretariat's view that such a register would not only raise considerable practical and jurisdictional questions and problems of evidence, but also that it was a matter outside the proper competence of FAO. Some delegations, while advocating the Register, felt that FAO would have to verify all complaints before accepting them. This could mean that we would have to become a sort of international police without the competence to monitor and to judge all complaints. However, the issue was left for possible further consideration at regional levels and it was suggested that countries could raise the issue if they so wished at the. next round of meetings of regional bodies. I sense the issue will be raised again and I know that the Secretariat will keep a watching brief on the issue and will come up with any suggestions it can. The best place to discuss this matter is in the forthcoming series of regional workshops and seminars on control and surveillance. One is going on this week in Free Town, Sierra Leone, concerning all countries of the West African group and there were further meetings to be held in the South China Sea region in the autumn, and a meeting in February 1982 for countries in the South West Indian Ocean region, so there should be plenty of opportunity for talking about control and surveillance.
The decentralized delivery of the EEZ programme was strongly supported by all but one delegation, and I feel I should make an amplified comment on this issue for the benefit of the delegate of France. I came to FAO in 1978 and this is the first dissenting voice I have heard in any FAO meeting about the role of FAO fisheries bodies in delivering our programme in a decentralized manner. Support and strong encouragement for decentralized delivery and the strengthening of the network of sub-regional bodies to enhance the capacities of coastal states and help them manage their fisheries resources has been explicitly expressed by the following meetings: the FAO Conference itself at its twentieth session in 1979; this Council at its seventy-sixth session in November 1979 and by a large majority of members of this meeting; the Committee on Fisheries at its thirteenth meeting in 1979 and its fourteenth meeting a month ago; the Programme Committee in its various sessions in 1979, 1980 and 1981; also the following regional fisheries bodies; at their meetings held in 1979 and 1980: the Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission, the Indo-Pacific Fisheries Commission; the Fisheries Commission for the West Central Atlantic, i.e. the Whole Caribbean; the Commission for the East Central Atlantic Fisheries, i.e. West Africa; and the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean. So we have a pretty deep committment to, and confirmation of, this policy.
Concerning the costs of this system, these regional technical assistance units, as I mentioned in my introduction and as is mentioned in this COFI paper, cost US$ 22 million in the period 1979-81 and will cost around further US$ 87 million over the next five years if all the proposals of FAO and their regional bodies are funded. I would point out, though, that the source of these funds is all extra-budgetary; there are no Regular Programme funds in all those technical units that I have just mentioned; it is extra-budgetary funds from multilateral and bilateral donors, about 50 percent of which comes from UNDP and the remainder from individual donor country contributions.
The cost of the meetings of the regional bodies themselves, of which there are nine main regional bodies, which have been long in existence, most of them established over the period 1948 to 1965, is met from the regular programme budget and it is contained in the budget that was discussed at COFI and also last week. However, we have managed to contain the numbers of meetings of these bodies, so in fact we are having fewer meetings now than we had in the past even though we are dealing with vastly increased responsibilities and a substantially larger number of sub-regional subsidiary bodies, but we have managed to eliminate other meetings to make room for the increasing activities of the sub-regional groupings. So I do not think there is much concern about this becoming too much of a cost burden on the Secretariat.
Regional fisheries bodies are an essential tool for the countries to get together jointly and manage and develop fisheries. Since most fish do migrate through the zones of more than one country there has to be some mechanism for inter-country decision making and consultation. For instance, among the developed countries of Europe, North America and the Far East they do use international fisheries commissions which they have set up under Conventions to achieve this purpose. On a quick mental count I have made there are about twenty of these Commissions in existence in the developed world or shared between developed and developing countries. FAO has only nine regional fisheries bodies, six covering marine fisheries and three covering inland fisheries, and they include both developed and developing countries. For instance, you may not realize that the FAO Secretariat supports the regional fisheries body for inland European fisheries, which covers East and West Europe, as well as North and South Europe; and also the regional fisheries body for the Mediterranean, which has a large number of developed European countries in it.
I have one other comment in closing on this issue, and it is really for clarification and not argumentation. Unlike in many other sectors of FAO's work, such as parts of agriculture, FAO is the only body in the UN system with technical responsibility and competence in fisheries management and development. But we certainly do recognize that there are lots of other organizations outside the UN system who have some competence and interests in certain aspects of ocean resources and we do our very best to collaborate and work with as many of these agencies as possible, recognizing that there are never enough financial resources and enough help to go round. We want to work with everybody who will work with us so that we can accomplish the very most with the least resources from the FAO side.
I have only one other comment under EEZ. One delegate made reference to the concern about EEZ perhaps distracting attention from the inshore fisheries, those fisheries within twenty-five miles offshore. I would like to provide clarification on that, because it is often an issue widely misunderstood by non-fisheries experts. Most fish in the world occur fairly close to shore. They actually occur where they are because of the existence of food which is of course brought about by nutrients and sunlight. So fish are typically in two types of places in the sea, either over continental shelves uhere the waters are shallow and rich, or in locations next to the western side of continents in sub-tropical regions where there is an up-welling of nutrients. So most fish occur within 30 miles of the shore, except where there are very wide continental shelves. I believe that a number of countries have wide shelves, but not all of them covered with fish. Fish can occur over continental shelves as far as six hundred miles from shore in the extreme case, but the average situation is that most fish are within the first thirty miles or so. On a worldwide basis, ninety-nine percent of commercial fisheries are within EEZ's.
The EEZ programme deals with the management of fisheries within the total zone and of course the significance of the EEZ is that it has provided for the first time the ability to manage the whole population of fish rather than just those that happen to occur inside the territorial sea, which was either three miles or six miles or twelve miles wide, depending on which nation you come from. So I would like to reassure delegates that FAO is concerned basically with total management and national utilization of fish and in particular the development of the inshore fisheries. I appreciate the observation made on this point; it gives me a chance to agree with the delegate of the United Kingdom that the inshore fisheries are ones which require the most attention and development and should be protected from having competition from other more industrialized fisheries, which of course often get the first chance of exploitation and deprive the inshore fisherman of his livelihood.
On the second issue, nutrition and utilization of fisheries, there was very little controversy. There was strong support for the recognition of the importance of fish in nutrition, and I very much appreciated the strong advice we were getting that we should pay as much attention as possible to utilization, to losses, to discards of fish, to improve on the amount of fish available for consumption.
On the third point, the Programme of Work and Budget, I do not think there is anything which required specific comment.
I will just run over the other odds and ends which require a response. Sri Lanka asked several questions about what is happening to some of the regional programmes in her region. The Indo-Pacific Tuna Management Programme which Sri Lanka has so generously offered to host in Colombo, has now been funded by the UNDP and Japan and we are in the process of recruiting the staff, who will be taking up residence in Sri Lanka to begin implementing the programme by the end of this year. He also mentioned the Bay of Bengal Committee which was established by the Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission last year. It is having its first meeting in December 1981 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka was also concerned about the inability of the programme increase for fisheries to covering increased costs. I would like to point out to him that these programme proposals are for real programme costs that do not take into account further indexing of that budget for inflation, which is done in another stage of the preparation of the Programme of Work and Budget and not done within the context of the current examination of the fisheries programme. There is a real increase of 8 percent to the fisheries programme proposed.
The delegate of Colombia asked what action had been taken on his Government's request for identification of a programme in his country. There have been two formal EEZ mission to his country to help in the examination of policy objectives and formulation of strategies and a fisheries development plan, we fielded with extra budgetary funds a five-man mission to Colombia for a period of four to five weeks back in February 1981. A report has been drafted and a smaller mission will return to Colombia at a date suggested by the Colombian government in July 1981, to discuss the draft report with government representatives and then to work with in formulating a plan of action in cooperation with the various agencies there concerned with fisheries. But there has been a second initiative, not just by Colombia but by the four nations along the Pacific coast of South America, to establish a regional technical support unit in that area with FAO backing to work with the South Pacific Permanent Commission, which is established by a fisheries Convention agreed by those four countries back in the late 1940s or early 1950s to bring about joint management and development of the resources in that region. I would like to reassure the delegate of Colombia that we are working actively not only with the Colombian Government but also with the governments of Peru, Ecuador and Chile in furthering the identification of that programme and in the search for donors, and we do have some chance for donor support.
LE PRESIDENT: Après l'intervention de M. Lucas, je constate qu'il y a un observateur qui nous demande encore la parole. Je rappelle qu'il est plus de midi quarante et que l'observateur de la Somalie voudra bien être bref. D'avance je le remercie.
H. MOHAMED M. (Observateur pour la Somalie): Au cours des débats, j'ai demandé la parole mais vous ne me l'avez pas accordée. Je suis donc obligé de vous la redemander. Je ferai une petite intervention, même si l'on a déjà conclu. Au nom de ma délégation, je voudrais présenter mes remerciements à la FAO, à M. Lucas, en particulier, du Département des Pêches, pour la mise en oeuvre du Programme pour le développement économique de mon pays et l'assistance des services techniques qu'il a accordés et qu'il accorde. Mon pays attache une grande importance au développement des pêches car il fait partie intégrante du plan de développement économique de mon pays.
Dans la lutte contre la faim, contre la pauvreté, contre la malnutrition, les ressources halieutiques jouent un rôle très important. Mon pays dispose d'environ 3000 kilomètres de côtes. La pêche représente une ressource potentielle assez importante mais nous devons faire face à des obstacles: surtout l'ignorance de la valeur nutritionnelle du poisson de la part des consommateurs et des pêcheurs eux-mêmes et de l'absence d'infrastructures. Mais grâce à des programmes d'éducation lancés par mon gouvernement et grâce à l'aide de la FAO, je peux confirmer que nous assistons à une consommation des pêches avec des méthodes traditionnelles de poisson. Nous cherchons en tous cas à sensibiliser la masse somalienne du fait de la place importante du poisson et du produit des pêches, l'apport animal alimentaire, car nous sommes convaincus que cela apportera une meilleure croissance de l'homme. Nous attachons une grande importance à la connaissance technique dans ce domaine. Nous consacrons un rôle important à des activités que nous avons déjà commencées. Pourtant nous soulignons et nous félicitons la FAO pour l'aide accordée à mon pays et nous appuyons les activités de la FAO dans le domaine des pêches et toutes les propositions qui sont avancées par la FAO. Nous demandons que soient accordées à la FAO les ressources nécessaires pour fournir d'une façon remarquable une assistance accrue aux pays en voie de développement.
LE PRESIDENT: Je m'excuse auprès du délégué de la Somalie car nous n'avions pas vu sa pancarte et nous n'avons pas pu lui donner la parole à temps.
Avant de conclure, ou plutôt de clore la session de ce matin, je rappelle que Ce document était soumis au Conseil pour information. Mais le fait que vingt-six orateurs ont exprimé leurs opinions démontre tout l'intérêt que le Conseil lui a accordé. Ces interventions enrichiront certainement ce document et aideront le Secrétariat à mieux discerner les actions qu'il devra entreprendre pour la mise en oeuvre des conclusions et recommandations du Comité des Pêches.
Avec ce point de l'ordre du jour, nous terminons la séance de ce matin et nous reprendrons cet après-midi à 14 h 45.
The meeting rose at 12.45 hours
La séance est levée à 12 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.45 horas
