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IWMC
World Conservation Trust |
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Fisheries,
COFI and CITES...
what's next? |
Now,
a background paper has to be prepared by FAO Secretariat, with the help of
experts, for consideration at a new technical consultation, to be held before
November 2001, possibly in September in Namibia. The technical consultation
would formulate a proposal to be sent to CITES as an informal document, which
would be considered at the eighth session of the COFI Sub-Committee on Fish
Trade to be held in February 2002. Finally, the decisions of the Sub-Committee
would be formally conveyed to CITES by the FAO Secretariat.
This exceptional procedure, under which the final decision would not be taken
by COFI itself, was proposed and accepted without objection, because it was
essential to meet CITES deadlines. Indeed, the next COFI meeting is scheduled
for early 2003, i.e. after CITES CoP12 to be held in Chile in November 2002,
during which Resolution Conf. 9.24 on Criteria to amend CITES Appendices I and
II should be revised.
Although this might be a simple coincidence, this procedure was suggested,
without much hope of seeing it retained, in the IWMC document.
IWMC will of course maintain its involvement in fisheries issues and expect
to be in a position to continue to contribute to the work and discussions about
the relationships between CITES and commercial fisheries, in particular with
regard to the FAO process of revision of the CITES criteria. In this context,
one key recommendation of the first Technical Consultation should be dealt with
carefully. It refers to the review of problems and potential solutions in
relation to listing fishery resources under Article II of CITES so as to
minimize unnecessary negative impact on the fishing industry and communities.
For that purpose, no doubt that the IWMC document can be helpful as it describes
most, if not all, the problems and suggests some solutions.
Our readers will be kept informed of any development originating from the
document to be produced in April-May of this year by the Chairmen of the Animals
and Plants Committees on the basis of the draft revised proposal Conf.9.24,
prepared by the CITES Criteria Working Group and the discussions of the joint
meeting of the Committees held in Shepherdstown, last December. 
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