A global perspective on bottom fisheries in the high seas: challenges,
opportunities and best practices
Merete Tandstad
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
FISH AS FOOD
 Important source of animal
protein
 Fish provides significant micronutrients, minerals, and
essential fatty acids
SOCIO ECONOMIC
IMPORTANCE OF FISH AND
SEAFOOD
 Importance of Fish as contributor
to economy and employment
 Fish is among the most traded
food commodities worldwide.
The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries
Widening scope of fisheries management
Fishery
Ecological
Wellbeing
Human
Wellbeing
Ability to Achieve
Retained
Community
Governance
Non retained
National
External drivers
General
ecosystem
Bottom Fisheries in the high seas
• Not uniform and differ with respect to both main species and habitat,
as well as gears used
• Estimated total catch in 2014 of less than 150 000 tonnes
• 75% of High Seas bottom catches are continental-shelf and/or upper
slope.
• Remaining 25% below 400 m, on various bottom structures including
seamounts
Region
Main species
Estimated catch
2014 (tonnes)
NE Atlantic:
round nose grenadier, rough head grenadier, black scabbard fish, ling, haddock, blue
ling, orange roughy, Snow crab, cod, Greenland halibut
10,941
NW Atlantic:
Redfish, cod, Greenland halibut, snow crab, thorny skate, yellowtail flounder, American
plaice, roughhead grenadier, witch flunder, Atlantic halibut, shrimp, haddock, white
hake, anglerfish , round nose grenadier
56,407
SE Atlantic
red crab, toothfish, other bycatch
211
Indian Ocean
Orange roughy, dogfish, Lethrinid emperors (Sala de Malha), Lutjanid snappers (Sala de
Malha), Mora moro, traces of others
about 7,000
North Pacific:
Alfonsino, armourhead, mirror dory, oreo, rockfishes, and Sablefish
5,267
South Pacific:
Mostly orange roughy
1,428
Southern Oceans Antarctic toothfish, Patagonian toothfish, grenadiers
3,941
UNGA
69/109
UNGA WS
61/105 &
64/72
FAO
DSF
GUIDELINES
DSF
PREP
2016
UNGA
61/105
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2006
2004
UNGA
70/75
UNGA
68/71
UNGA
66/68
UNGA
64/72
UNGA
59/25
Busan
UNGA WS
64/72 &
66/68
VME DB
Launch
FAO DSF Programme
IMPLEMENTATION OF GUIDANCE BY DEEP SEA RFMOs and States
Changes in the Regional Bodies controlling
High Seas Bottom Fishing
77% of the bottom fisheries in the ABNJ is managed by
an RFMO or other multilateral body
Note:
In the Central Atlantic two RFBs with advisory mandates
exist. WECAFC have just started to process of becoming a
management body
UNGA
Aug 2016
Changes to the management of High Seas
Bottom Fishing
Note: SIOFA have just started the
process of developing bottom fishing
measures. In the interim period,
management is undertaken by
Contracting Parties via State measures,
UNGA
Aug 2016
VME related actions and measures
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Fished areas
VME indicators
VME thresholds
VME Encounter protocol
Exploratory fishing protocol
Impact assessments
SAIs
VME Closures
Observers
Identification guides
Assessment and management of
fish stocks to provide advice on
TACs, effort level, measures for
bycatch, and technical measures
etc
Widened scope of issues
addressed in fisheries
management by RFMOs
ABNJ
“Common Oceans”
Programme
GEF-funded ABNJ Deep Seas project
SponGES
(EU Horizon 20-20)
FAO Deep-sea Fisheries Programme
VME
Database
Project
(FRA)
Sust. FI Deep-sea
Project
(NOR)
VME and
RFMO Deepsea Project
(JPN)
Deep Seas Project: partners
Partners
Funding:
US$ 8 million
from GEF for
5 years
Co-funding
Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD)
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
Organization (NAFO)
Commission for the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources
(CCAMLR)
Nairobi Convention
Permanent Commission for the South
Pacific (CPPS)
North East Atlantic Fisheries
Commission (NEAFC)
estimate US$ 79 million
Duke University
Executing Agencies
General Fisheries Commission for
the Mediterranean (GFCM)
Global Oceans Biodiversity Initiative
(GOBI)
GRID-Arendal
International Coalition of Fisheries
Associations (ICFA)
International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
NPFC
South East Atlantic Fisheries
Organisation (SEAFO)
Sealord Group
Southern Indian Ocean
Deepwater Fishers Association
(SIODFA)
South Pacific Regional Fisheries
Management Organisation (SPRFMO)
Documenting progress made
• Processes and actions taken
to address SAIs on VMEs are
documented by RFMOs and
compiled in the global VME
database and in the upcoming
report on VME processes and
practices.
• Approach taken not always
the same in each region
DSF & VMEs
WECAFC
Barbados,
2014
DSF & VMEs
CECAF
2016
Raise awareness on and
exchange of experience on
addressing VME related issues
DSF &
VMEs
GFCM
Italy, 2016
VMEs
Indian Ocean
Mauritius,
2012
VMEs
SEAFO
Namibia,
2013
VMEs
NPFC
Japan,
2014
ISSUES WITH IMPLEMENTATION: ENCOUNTER
PROTOCOLS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
• In May 2015, FAO held a combined workshop on encounter
protocols and impact assessments in the context of deepsea
bottom fisheries in the ABNJ, in collaboration with IMR
• Participants: scientists, the fishing industry, managers, and
NGOs contributed regional knowledge and lessons learned on
the application of encounter protocols and impact assessments
from their perspectives and experiences
• Outputs: 8 observations on encounter protocls and 8 on impact
assessments:
Improving information and
knowledge on fisheries, fisheries
related instruments, and species
• Sharing information on existing
instruments of relevance for
deep-sea fisheries
• Exchange of experience and
knowledge from scientific
community
• Partnerships with industry to
facilitate reporting
• Tools for improved identification
and reporting of vulnerable
species
• Encourage data collection and
facilitate research
Future considerations
• Continue efforts to support states and RFMOs to implement the suite of
measures developed
• Compile information on these fisheries and share best practice
• Maintain and expand Partnerships
• Continued engagement with fishing industry for improved reporting and
data collection
• Support exploration of alternative methods for assessments using new
technology and methods for data limited stocks
• Issues in Implementation
• Organize Busan II meeting on looking at challenges and opportunities related to the
implementation of the DSF Guidelines and UNGA Resolutions
Thank you