Forum global sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition (Forum FSN)

Australian Contribution to the High Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) scoping note on the role of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture for Food Security and Nutrition 

General Comments

Overall, Australia considers that the document is trying to cover too much ground and is poorly drafted. We suggest the committee choose the most important issues, where new work or thinking could be introduced. Some of the work proposed here has been covered in other and ongoing international processes including within FAO. For example, improving the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries is a standing topic of discussion in FAO’s Committee on Fisheries and small-scale fisheries are the specific subject of current FAO consultations. The jumble of issues and their description is unlikely to attract useful comment.

Many of the statements and observations about the state of wild capture fisheries and aquaculture are not relevant to the Australian experience. Some serious work on the potential for aquaculture to increase its contribution as a source of protein would be interesting. The issues of pollution and damage to wild capture fisheries to feed farmed fish are relevant.

Overall, Australia suggests that research into technical and policy improvements could be mentioned more emphatically, as increased human population and declining fish resources will require new systems and fish technologies. We consider that the increasing role of aquaculture in fish supply is worthy of separate programs as opposed to capture fisheries. In developing countries aquaculture is expanding at small farm level and is a source of diversification, income and nutrition that is often understated. The HLPE report could help address this issue.

It is true that total aquaculture production has increased rapidly in recent years and that this expansion has had/can have environmental impacts. The impact on small pelagic fisheries, targeted for fish meal for aquaculture, can be considerable and could increase. Aquaculture hasn’t expanded to the same extent and rate all over the world – it predominates in Asia. The drafters could avoid using global statistics to indicate a global problem.

Specific Comments

1. How can the implementation of the FAO “Code of Conduct “for Responsible Fisheries and Aquaculture” be further improved globally for sustainable aquatic resource management?

• Please refer to comment above in opening paragraph.

2.  How will nations maintain the integrity of the resource base (the source of food) in the face of these pressures, and the livelihoods dependent on them?

• Aside from the recognising the ecosystem-based limitations of marine resources, policy makers should recognise the role of political and social behaviour limitations; and, where relevant (i.e. coastal commercial fisheries), the market limitations.
• ‘Bottom up’ changes in social and political behaviour and market forces play an important role in fisheries management and are factors undermining any effort made at a national/regional policy level. 
• Policies which promote the protection of coral reef systems (ridge to reef inputs and preservation of upstream components)
• Noting that coastal resources around the world currently face significant pressures which are increasing (primarily due to populations growth and climate change), there is the need for stronger analysis of where the food insecurity problems lie now and into the future is needed.  Coastal reef productivity, population density, consumption and climate change should all be considered. Subsequently appropriate policy and decision making tools will need to be developed.

3. What are the key socioeconomic issues which affect the sustainability and development of fisheries and aquaculture?

• Transparency in political systems and decision making processes combined with sound fisheries management advice are fundamental to the process of turning resource users into resource stewards. 

4.  To what extent can contributions be made to policy development and have considerable impact on securing small-scale fisheries /artisanal fisheries in their fundamental rights and creating benefits, especially in terms of food security and poverty reduction?

There are a number of policies which may have significant impacts on ensuring food security. Referring specifically to the Pacific, where there is a large healthy resource of skipjack tuna, policies which give local communities greater access to these resources and their by-catch would improve food security. Examples of such policies could include:

• Increasing access of communities to by-catch from commercial vessels (with strong consideration of the local market conditions to ensure oversupply does not occur)
• a national requirement for fishing vessels to provide part of their catch for food security
• Increased Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) programs to give artisanal fishermen access to tuna resources

5.  How can the gender specific needs and rights of women be protected through enforceable rights over land, water resources, credit and other related matters?

• Given the prominent role of females in post harvesting, processing and markets, scope to promote female entrepreneurship 
• Social protection of women for issues arising from fishing vessels in ports
• Given the female dominance in fish processing plants, support to women moving from the informal to the  formal labour market

6.  What continuous improvements in institutional capacities (both national and regional) is critical for the success of management and governance of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture?

• Australia strongly supports the role and primacy of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) in fisheries management. As a network, these bodies cover most of the world’s oceans. We are mindful of major fishing entities that cooperate with RFMOs outside the FAO framework and we are concerned that FAO-based activities do not exclude or isolate such. Rather, we see a role for FAO in building national capacity for nations to participate in those regional institutions as well as implement effective monitoring, control and surveillance processes (question 6) in their national waters.
• Institutional capacity is fundamental to sound fisheries management.  Many national fisheries administrations have limited capacity and coordination of activities remains weak.
• Having in-country based technical assistance provides not only technical expertise, however it also provides a logical coordination point for meeting national and donor priorities.
• Transparency and political-will are also likely to be key constraints.

7. How sustainable aquaculture can be promoted for food security and nutrition, as well as livelihoods, into the longer term?

We agree that a review of aquaculture’s contribution to food security is desirable. In emerging industries/technologies there will always be things that go wrong and different states will always priorities social, economic and ecological considerations differently. Identifying policies which support science, research and development as well as environmental monitoring and mitigation are the more important issues.

• There is no guidance on what “pricing mechanisms” and “fund schemes” the drafters plan to include in the study.
• Sustainable aquaculture has the potential to improve livelihoods and promote food security and nutritional security. 
• Disease outbreaks have certainly reduced the effectiveness of food production and addressing this issue may give large gains in total aquaculture production.
• Implementation of World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines, exploration of shared veterinary services, national biosecurity assessments, biosecurity frameworks, better support for the siting of farms, and controlled development of aquaculture will all assist to reduce the impacts of disease.
• Another point worth mentioning is that we currently don’t disaggregate aquaculture into commercial and subsistence however the rationale for pursuing each requires different consideration. 
• In the Pacific, freshwater availability and feed costs remain key considerations for the development of the aquaculture industry

8. What policies are necessary for fair and improved trading?

• Aquaculture is a global, competitive industry and fish products are highly traded internationally. While we support free trade, we do not consider the FAO should be running agendas in this space.
• In recognition of the value of most seafood being at the ‘catch’ and ‘retail’ ends of the market chain, policies which promote greater vertical integration of seafood and direct value retained by the communities are needed.
• Expertise in the value chain analysis and marketing are needed to develop markets. 
• Good community fisheries/aquaculture governance is required to control and maintain supply.  Development of small farmer/fisher groups may be advantageous for the above causes. Solidarity amongst communities and farmers will remain key to ensuring maximum benefits are retained by producers.

9.  What would promote fish value chain development that supports food security and nutrition?

• Eco-certifications of any seafood commodities produced by communities
• Policies which promote the increase of value rather than volume

10.  What other policies and relevant technology options are available for waste minimisation, better resource accountability and management?

• In reference to the statement “small-scale fisheries generally have lower discard rates than industrial fisheries”, we note that this is not always the case and a regrettable regard to ‘trash fish’ is still common in some places.
• In Australia, we are currently conducting a routine review of our Commonwealth policy on fisheries bycatch, which seeks to improve the management of bycatch in Commonwealth fisheries by developing a revised policy framework.
• We disagree that “Most international fisheries management operates outside the public eye” (question 10). Observers participate in RFMO meetings and documents are made publicly available before and after meetings. While fisheries negotiations may be held in private, this is consistent with negotiations under most international agreements.
• Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is mentioned only briefly (question 10) but we note that it still undermines national, regional and global efforts towards sustainability in fisheries and fairness and equity for the many fishers who follow the rules.
• Increasing access of communities to by-catch from commercial vessels
• Increasing access to technologies for better handling of fish for small scale fleets
• Rights based management for communities
• Bottom up social changes which give communities a sense of pride in their resources.

Concluding Comments

The Australian Government thanks the HLPE for developing a scoping note for their report on Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture for Food Security and Nutrition. Australia is happy to engage with the HLPE to provide comment on future documents and draft reports and would appreciate an opportunity to review the studies terms of reference.