Seminar for Permanent Representatives on the Global Strategy for Improving Agricultural and Rural Statistics, Rome, 22 J

1. Seminar for Permanent Representatives on the Global Strategy for Improving Agricultural and Rural Statistics,Rome, 22 June 2009 Perspective of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Fisheries and Aquaculture Information and Statistics Service 1

2. Problems to be addressed • Incomplete and unreliable statistics and information on fisheries and aquaculture impede effective governance, management, policy making and sectoral planning • Implications for food security, sustainable livelihoods, resource and ecosystem conservation and economies; these have knock on effects for agricultural and other sectors. • Monitoring problems particular to marine and large lake fisheries taking place in offshore or distant waters 2

3. Many problems have been recognised by Members • Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries (STF 2003) • Strategy and Outline Plan for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture (STA 2007) • IMPLEMENTATION NOW NEEDED with Donor support 2

4. Complementary and Coordinated Implementation of Strategies • FishCode STF Project for implementation for Capture Fisheries (started 2006) • FishCode STA Project proposed for implementation for Aquaculture • Need to integrate Fisheries and Aquaculture into Agriculture and National Statistical Systems to support policy making for food security, resource management, ecosystem conservation, climate change, etc. Is feasible: Codex is good model. 2

5. Existing Problems and Shortcomings • Weak institutional capacity for statistics gathering and processing • Poor coverage of small scale and subsistence operations and some distant water fisheries • Insufficient inclusion in censuses • Insufficient linkages with administrative information such as licensing and trade systems • Insufficient socio-economic data • Data often too aggregated 2

6. Existing Problems by Region • Southeast Asia: Data too aggregated with focus on total catch quantities and values, not useful for management. Small scale fisheries poorly covered. • Central America and Caribbean: Fisheries viewed as export-oriented industry; small scale ignored in national planning, rural development and PRSPs. • Pacific: Important fisheries dispersed around thousands of islands; logistical problems, especially for small scale fisheries 2

7. Existing Problems by Region • West Africa: Data too aggregated, not useful for management. Small scale fisheries poorly covered. Approaches not appropriate for inland fisheries • China: Need for more sample-survey approaches. Need for data on disposition of fish catches for food and non-food uses. 2

8. Potential Benefits of Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural Statistics • Improved quality and utility of fisheries and aquaculture statistics for local and national and management, policy making and sectoral planning • Improved regional fisheries management for shared fish stocks • Integration with agricultural and other statistics leading to better support to policy-making on food security, water and land use, coastal communities and industries, ecosystem considerations, climate change, emergencies, etc. 2

9. Thank you!