A permanent FAO Working Group composed of scientists from the coastal States, and from countries or organizations that play an active role in Northwest African pelagic fisheries, was established in March 2001.
The main objective of the Working Group is to advise options for stock management and exploitation of their fisheries and provide catch advice for each year, as well as improve the assessment of the small pelagic resources for the economic benefit of Morocco, Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal and ensure optimal sustainability of the resources.
The meeting was held in Agadir, Morocco, from 31 March to 10 April 2003. Altogether 19 scientists from eight countries and FAO participated.
A first editing of the report was made by all the participants of the Working Group. We are grateful to Stephen Cofield, Marie-Thérèse Magnan and Françoise Schatto, for their assistance in the final editing of this document.
Distribution:
Participants in the Working Group
FAO Regional Fishery
Officers
FAO Fisheries Department
Norwegian Agency for Development
Cooperation
Institute of Marine Research, Norway
Ministry of Agriculture
of the Netherlands
The Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research
