This session will be held from 26 February to 2 March 2001 in Rome, Italy, at the FAO headquarters. The meetings of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), which take place only every two years, are very important for the development of the fisheries industry and, indeed, for the conservation of the aquatic resources, in particular those subject to a commercial exploitation, which play such a significant role in the human food security.

The readers of this Newsletter know that IWMC is extremely concerned by issues concerning fisheries and is making serious efforts to support their sustainable management, in particular within the framework of FAO and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. IWMC is also concerned by the relationship between these organisations and CITES. Therefore, it has noted with interest that COFI will devote not less than a full afternoon of its session to consider the "CITES Criteria for Commercially-exploited Aquatic Species: for decision", i.e. the results of the Technical Consultation that took place in Rome in June 2000. IWMC hopes that other aspects of CITES will be taken into consideration, in particular implementation and enforcement problems in case of listing of such species in CITES Appendices (see also CITES and Commercial Fisheries in www.iwmc.org). IWMC has been invited to participate in the COFI session and will participate as an observer. The readers of this Newsletter will of course be kept informed of the result of the session, in particular regarding the agenda item concerning CITES.