FAO highlights impact of climate change on fisheries and explores way to strengthen the sector’s resilience

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has convened today the 12th Session for the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which will continue for three days.

The RECOFI leverages its core strengths to promote the development, conservation, rational management and best utilization of living marine resources and improving the sustainable development of aquaculture in the member countries. The Commission continually reviews the state of these resources, including abundance and the level of fisheries exploitation.

It also formulates and recommends appropriate measures for the conservation and rational management of living marine resources, and ensures the implementation of these recommendations, keeping under review the economic and social aspects of the fishing industry - recommending any measures aimed at its development.

“We have been making ceaseless efforts to improve RECOFI’s performance and develop its ability to address key issues in a manner that will help us achieve the desired progress. We are in the process of improving the level of data, performance, and response to developments, while holding and implementing relevant workshops and programs at the regional level,” said Ahmed AlMazrouai, FAO Senior Fishery and Aquaculture Officer, during his opening remarks.

The 12th Session for the RECOFI gives special focus to the relationship of climate change to fisheries and fish farming in terms of impact and vulnerability, and the measures needed to ensure the resilience of sector workers in the face of climate change challenges. In addition, discussions highlighted the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which constitutes a major concern when considering the sustainable management of fishery resources.

During the session, several topics were also covered, including the Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the recommendations made by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Review Conference, as well as the Sustainable Oceans Initiative (SOI).

“We hope to reach significant recommendations to guide our collective work in the future, and a full understanding of the topics at hand,” added AlMazrouai.

Fisheries in the Region

According to the FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (2022), the total global fish production from capture fisheries and aquaculture reached an all-time record of 214 million tonnes, worth about USD 424 billion in 2020. This significant increase is 60 percent higher than the total production in 1990. Undoubtedly, the growth in world population has led to an increased demand for aquatic foods, among other commodities, with the global per capita consumption of aquatic foods reaching a maximum of 20.2 kg in 2020.

In 2020, total aquaculture production comprised 87.5 million tonnes of aquatic animals contributing approximately 50 percent of the total aquaculture production, which amounted to 178 million tonnes. If we add to these 38 million tonnes of aquatic plants production (noting that aquaculture contributes more than 90% of their production), we find that the total aquaculture production has already surpassed that of capture fisheries.

In our region, the Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran are now in the lead as far as production from capture fisheries is concerned. As for fish farming, production varies between member states. Iran ranks first, with a total production exceeding 470 thousand tonnes, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which produces 114 thousand tonnes. The total production of the rest of the countries does not exceed 30 thousand tonnes. Member states have been putting plans and strategies in place to develop fish farming, accompanied by efforts to ensure fish stocks sustainability.

The world needs to increase production of aquatic foods, in general, and marine foods, in particular, to bridge the gap between demand and supply. Thus, FAO, having this aim in mind, has adopted the “Blue Transformation” which serves as a vision and road map for fisheries and aquaculture toward a more sustainable, productive, and equitable sector. This is in line with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031. The Blue Transformation aims to increase aquaculture production sustainably, have all fisheries managed effectively, and upgrade the value chain to ensure social, economic, and environmental viability. It provides a very important road map, and we need to consider integrating it at the regional and national levels. It is worth noting that this topic is included in today’s meeting agenda.