1. The FAO Regional Workshop on the Elaboration of National Plans of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing - Southern and East Africa Subregion was held at the Lake View Inn, Kariba, Zimbabwe, from 24 to 28 November 2003.
2. The Workshop was attended by 33 participants from FAO Members and one Observer. A list of participants is attached as Appendix B.
3. The Workshop was called to order by the Workshop Coordinator, Mr Aubrey Harris, Senior Fishery Officer, Subregional Office for Southern and East Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe. He introduced FAO Officers attending the Workshop and invited participants to introduce themselves. Mr Harris then invited Mr Wilson Mhlanga to make some opening remarks on behalf of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
4. Mr Wilson Mhlanga, Acting Officer-in-Charge for Lake Kariba Fisheries Research Institute, Kariba, welcomed participants to the Workshop on behalf of the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Acting Chief Ecologist (Aquatic) of the Management Authority. Mr Mhlanga noted the timeliness of the Workshop especially in view of the important social and economic role of fisheries in the southern and eastern African region. He further noted that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing was a problem for countries in the region and it was leading to losses from the fisheries sector. As a consequence, he urged that such fishing be addressed with priority, encouraging participants to take full advantage of the Workshop.
5. Mr Harris then invited Ms Victoria Sekitoleko, FAO Subregional Representative for Southern and East Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe, to speak. She welcomed participants to the Workshop on behalf of FAO, noting that it was a great pleasure to present the opening address. Ms Sekitoleko’s statement is attached as Appendix D.
6. Mr Philippe Michaud, Adviser, Seychelles Fishing Authority, Mahe, Seychelles, was selected as Workshop Facilitator.
7. The Agenda for the Workshop is attached as Appendix A and the list of documents is attached as Appendix C.
8. The Technical Secretary of the Workshop, Dr David Doulman, Senior Fisheries Liaison Officer, Fisheries Department, FAO, Rome, Italy, provided an overview of the technical issues to be addressed in the Workshop. He stated that the objective of the Workshop was to develop capacity so that countries would be better placed to elaborate their national plans of action to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing (NPOAs-IUU). It was pointed out that these NPOAs, the vehicles by which the IPOA-IUU would be implemented, should be elaborated by June 2004. However, he added that it appeared that few countries would meet this deadline. Dr Doulman outlined the topics to be addressed by the Workshop: the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU) and the Technical Guideline that had been developed to support the implementation of the IPOA-IUU; the examination of two case studies; decision-making about IUU fishing, and skills development through identification of key issues relating to the NPOA-IUU. He advised that five Working Groups would be formed to encourage maximum participation. In addition, it was noted that the Workshop would review regional fisheries issues, ways of improving collaboration and the identification of fisheries priorities.
9. With respect to the outcome of the Workshop, Dr Doulman noted that it should lead to an increased awareness about the problems and effects of IUU fishing and the need for countries to take concerted action to combat it; an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the IPOA-IUU and its technical guideline; a clearer definition of the steps that countries should take to develop their NPOAs-IUU; a sharing of experiences about IUU fishing by the participants, and a greater appreciation of the need for enhanced regional harmonization of measures to combat IUU fishing in southern and eastern Africa.
10. A presentation on IUU fishing terminology and definitions as contained in the IPOA-IUU was made by Dr Doulman. There was extensive discussion on the concepts underlying, and issues relating to, the definitions, especially as they applied to inland fisheries. In this respect, participants noted that illegal and unreported fishing was more readily apparent in inland fisheries than unregulated fishing. It was further noted that in the negotiations leading up to the conclusion of the IPOA-IUU, the focus of discussion and concern had primarily been on marine industrial fisheries. For this reason, some participants were of the opinion that sound NPOAs-IUU could be developed for marine fisheries though it was likely that NPOAs-IUU for inland fisheries, where IUU fishing problems were apparent, might be less robust. It was pointed out that some inland fisheries had both subsistence and commercial components. The Workshop was advised that the commercial component was often characterized by high vessel mobility and inaccurate/unreliable catch reporting.
