ANNEX E

Recommendations to the Twenty-fourth Session of the Committee on Fisheries

I. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CRITERIA

It might be recommended to:

• Refine the criteria and guidelines, as appropriate, considering the specific characteristics of commercially-exploited aquatic resources, and remove any possible ambiguities in the application of such criteria and guidelines which might lead to false alarms and misses. Once we have these criteria and guidelines, case studies should be conducted to ascertain their reliability. Among other things attention should be given to life histories and taxonomic groups, and address the issue of using relative values and ratios instead of absolute figures when dealing with abundance (in criteria A and C) and area of distribution (in Criterion B).
• Consider the usefulness of developing an additional criterion which addresses evaluation of status and trends through analysis and modelling using all relevant data to estimate such status and the probability or risk of biological extinction over specified time horizons, and clarify further its applicability and practicality as well as its relationship to other criteria.
• Reconcile language regarding species, populations, and population-units used respectively by CITES and the community of fisheries science and management, with corresponding terms clearly identified.
• Improve understanding of the listing of species in Appendix II; there were differences of opinion as to whether it relates to reducing the risk of extinction and/or promoting sustainable use.
• Review the criteria for listing in Appendix II, particularly under Article II Paragraph 2a to ensure consistency, clarity and practicality.
• Review problems and potential solutions in relation to listing fishery resources under Article II so as to minimize unnecessary negative impact on the fishing industry and communities.

II. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE PROCESS

It might be recommended to:

· Convene fisheries expertise from member States with a balanced regional representation and preferably from fishing nations in order to continue the process of analysis and refinement of the CITES criteria, definitions and guidelines.

· Encourage the use of national competence in fisheries in the elaboration of proposals for listing in CITES of resources exploited by fisheries in marine and large freshwater bodies.

· Request that the FAO Secretariat establish effective mechanisms to contribute to the elaboration and review of the CITES criteria and implementation of Article 15 of the CITES Convention regarding consultation with FAO, member States and regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) in evaluating proposals for listing against the prevailing criteria.

· Call on the Fisheries Department of FAO to play a facilitating role in improved dialogue and communications among member States, RFMOs and CITES. FAO may put the issue on the Agenda of the next meeting of RFMOs and FAO to be held before the next Session of COFI, and invite CITES to attend the meeting.

· Express concern about de-listing procedures. Fisheries management and aquaculture development are active processes and risks to resources may change due to environmental shifts, improvement of management schemes or restocking programmes. There is therefore a need for a sufficiently responsive objective and flexible mechanism for listing and de-listing.

· Establish in FAO a working group of appropriate technical experts, including member States and regional bodies, to consider problems and potential solutions in relation to listing fishery resources under Article II, particularly those listed on the basis of paragraph 2(b) [the "look-alike" provision].

· The language of Annex 4 of CITES Resolution 9.24 on the precautionary measures be revised to reflect advances in understanding of the implementation of the precautionary approach in conservation, particularly of resources exploited by fisheries in marine and large freshwater bodies, as well as its advances in fisheries¹.

1 One delegation did not believe that it would be constructive to re-open Annex 4 for discussion at the present time.