Commercial fishermen involvement in natural resources management

1. Commercial fishermen involvement in natural resources management K. Zgurovsky Head of Sust. Fishery Strategy 11/03/2016 Presentation to WWW RU

2. Mainpartners & players in the region: I. Associations and groups of coastal and at sea fishermen: Big-scalefishery: Fisheryassociation «Karat» - ~ 30% ofcodandhaddock; FisheryUnionofNorth (FUIN) – ~ 45% of cod and haddock; Arkhangelsky Trawl Fleet (ATF) – ~ 20% of cod & haddock. Small-scalefishery: Associationofcoastalfishery - ~ 5% of cod and haddock II. Regionalgovernment; III. RegionalNGO’s: Kola Ecology Centre(KEC) - the local ecology NGO.

3. . Partners & players: Federal Agency; Federal Parliament; Federal public advisory councils, commissions, Fishermen’s Congress, etc.; International bodies: RFMOs, bilateral Commissions, NGOs like Greenpeace, Green audit (MSC), etc. System of living resources management is quite specific & complicated:

4. Results of previous activities on:1) Rights to resources;2) Right to participate & presentation;3) Holding the Government & business accountable.

5. WWF involved Russian fishermen and scientists in sustaining the Barents Sea fisheries:

6. Experience of fishermen involvement and prerequisites for success of our future work:

7. Win-Win strategy in involving fishermen in: data gathering, EBM & RBM and harmful practices elimination: After 10 years of joint efforts of WWF and coastal Pacific fishermen the total ban of the “wall of death” -driftnets from 1st of January 2016 г. Is in force. It provides safer migration of salmon to spawning grounds, protects coastal communities rights and prevent mortality of 200 thous. birds and3 thous. marine mammals. Presentation to Company Name

8. We showed that using streamers (scare-off devices), besides 90% seabird mortality reduction, saves bait and prevents catch/money loss: 800K USD/one big Co/ annually, Training of captains and deckmen helped fishermen to be involved; Association has a special WWF –developed doc stipulating right & duties of scientific observers on board; Cooperation with longlining association:

9. Joint efforts on promotion of the EBM & RBM: • Classes for captains on EBM & RBM; • Joint publications of the sust. fishery “bible” – “FAO Code of Conduct..” and the “Assessment of threats to the Arctic Marine Ecosystems…” • Joint workshops on involvement of fishermen in stocks management and ecosystems conservation, etc. • Fishermen polls on gaps in management and fishing practices.

10. In frames of our partnership we are working together on EBM and RBM introduction, reduction of the fishing operations impact on VMEs Fishermen participate in data collection on VMEs distribution; Fishermen funding the experiments on the gear impact reduction, which could decrease impact of gear by 70-80%.

11. Problems and ways to solve them: • Plans range "kept secret" TACs, quotas allocation - find powerful allies: the fishermen, buyers, processors, etc.; • . Accusations by reps of state bodies that WWF replaces the government – it makes us more actively involved in our work with state. officials (PCA letter); • Coastal, Indig. People and small scale fishermen rights to resource abuse; • Radical position of some our “green brothers who consider fishermen as enemies.

12. Decisions’ making process transparency: • At the meeting of directors of fisheries research institutes were set the task of closing any forward-looking figures and information relating to the TAC, from the public, despite the fact that the federal Fisheries Act says about “the public's right to participate in the preparation of decisions that have an impact on aquatic resources, and the obligation of public authorities to give such participation "

13. CSO are stakeholders in MSP processes:

14. Mechanism of the CSO engagement -inception period activities: • Singing a partnership agreement with the Union of Fishermen of the North on mitigation of fishing operation on VMEs • Preparation of the EBM & RBM training course for fishermen; • Development of stepwise roadmap for fishermen involvement in the MSC process; • Discussions on quotas & TAC allocation process transparency with fishermen and analysis of opportunities of introduction of the RBM and the system similar to the CDQ. Presentation to Company Name

15. MSP based on EBM experiences:

16. Inception period activities (cont.): • Participation in the VMEs protection workshop in Oslo and maintenance of Russian fishermen and experts participation; • Development of training posters & methodical manuals;

17. . Further project activities:

18. Mechanism of the CSO involvement (continued): • Maintenance of certification & audit of Ecoregional fisheries in the Barents against/stakeholders involvement/ watchdogging/ FIPs implementation; • Coordination of CSO in joint Russian-Norwegian fishery management for the Barents Sea Ecoregion; • Assistance in defending fishermen interests against possible conflict with the oil and gas companies; • Processing of fishermen polls results on gaps in management and fishing practices + promoting the management measures for FIPs; • Cooperation on creation of the Sust. Fishery Council (recent proposal of fishermen) with the WWF and the MSC participation MSP based on EBM experiences: • Gap analysis of data for the Barents Sea VMEs; • Gathering of available data on VMEs in the Russian EEZ in partnership with WWF NO, MSC, CABs; • Together with fishermen to develop management measures (proposed “areas to be avoided for fishing, enhance no-go zones borders) + management measures; • “No-Go areas are supported by fishermen. Presentation to Company Name

19. Lets work together!