| Abstrakt: |
The fifth Meeting of the WECAFC Working Group (WG) on Fisheries using anchored (or moored) fish aggregating devices (aFAD) was held in a hybrid format from 17-19 April 2023, hosted by the Commonwealth of Dominica. The meeting was attended by various WECAFC Members, including Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, European Union, France, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and the United States of America. The opening of the meeting was marked by remarks from Dr Yvette Diei Ouadi, Secretary of WECAFC, and Dr Renata Clarke, FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean (Appendix D), who emphasized the significance of aFAD fisheries in the region and the challenges they face. The meeting, chaired by Mr Derrick Theophille, discussed the adoption of the agenda and meeting arrangements, as well as the background and objectives of the meeting. The objectives included reviewing data and recent developments in Member Countries with aFAD fisheries, discussing working documents related to the implementation of the 2022-2024 workplan, providing a status update on the implementation of relevant instruments and recommendations, and developing recommendations and a proposed work plan for future work. Status update presentations were given by representatives from different WECAFC members, including Barbados, Brazil, the Commonwealth of Dominica, European Union (Martinique and Guadeloupe), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, the United States of America, and the Dominican Republic. The presentations covered various aspects of the aFAD fisheries in each country, including monitoring, harvest control, effort calculations, landings, regulations, and challenges faced. Questions and discussions were held regarding private FADs, vessel monitoring systems, size limits for catch, reporting to international organizations, the use of technology for monitoring smaller vessels, and the location of aFADs in marine spatial planning. Overall, the meeting provided an opportunity for WG members to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and identify areas for collaboration and future work in the field of aFAD fisheries. A key objective of the meeting was the review and discussion of several documents stemming out of the 2022-2024 Workplan aimed at improving aFAD fisheries management in the region. These documents included (1) the WECAFC Regional aFAD Fishery management Plan, (2) the Guide for improved monitoring of aFADs and improved assessment of impacts of aFADs on stocks, and (3) the Guide for the development of local aFAD fishery management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
