Report of the FAO Workshop on Bycatch Management and Low-impact Fishing

The Workshop on Bycatch Management and Low-impact Fishing held in Kuwait City, the State of Kuwait, on 9-12 December 2012 was convened to develop the concept of a Regional Action Plan on how bycatch can be more effectively managed and to reduce impacts of fishing on the environment. The meeting reviewed the current knowledge on bycatch in the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) / Gulf Cooperation Council region and considered priority follow-up action. The workshop adopted a draft concept document in the form of a Regional Action Plan for managing the environmental impacts of fishing in the RECOFI region. Workshop participants agreed that the primary objective a regional action plan was to ensure the longterm livelihoods of those involved in the fisheries sector through the adoption of responsible fishing practices and that elements of the plan should interalia: (i) prioritize responsible fishing through embedding the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) in relevant national policies, (ii) minimize the impact of trawling on the sensitive habitats and reduce the impact on vulnerable species, both target and non-target, (iii) provide a rational approach to fleets for reducing bycatch, discards and gear loss, (iv) adopt a comprehensive approach that recognizes the differing environmental, economic and social conditions of the various fisheries within the region, (v) raise awareness, train and incentivize stakeholders about sustainable fishing Workshop participants also agreed that the stages of the regional action plan should include as a priority: a regional analysis and diagnosis followed by action implementation.