United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Committee on Fisheries

Background and Purpose

The Committee on Fisheries (COFI), a subsidiary body of the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Council, was established by the FAO Conference at its 13^th Session in 1965. COFI is the only global inter-governmental forum in which major international fisheries and aquaculture issues are examined and recommendations addressed to governments, regional fishery bodies, non-government organisations, fishworkers, FAO and the international community. COFI has also been used as a forum for the negotiation of global agreements and non-binding instruments.

The two main functions of COFI are to review the FAO’s fisheries and aquaculture work programs and their implementation, and to conduct periodic general reviews of fisheries and aquaculture issues with a view to concerted action by the international community. COFI also reviews specific matters relating to fisheries and aquaculture referred to it by the Council or the Director-General of FAO, or placed on meeting agendas at the request of Members, or the UN General Assembly. The work performed by COFI aims to supplement the work of other fisheries and aquaculture organisations. There are two Sub-Committees under COFI - the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade and the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture.

Australian Participation

Australia is a founding member of the FAO and participates actively in COFI and its sub-committees. Australia was the inaugural chair of the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture.

Australia recognises the importance of COFI as a unique forum for addressing international fisheries issues. Australia considers there are three priority issues in world fisheries today that COFI must assist in addressing - fishing overcapacity, combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and making members of the regional fisheries management organisations accept their full responsibilities so that they can take strong and decisive actions to sustainably manage world fisheries. Australia was instrumental in the initiation and development of the FAO International Plan of Action on IUU fishing.

Members

COFI membership is open to any FAO Member and non-Members eligible to be an observer of the FAO. Representatives of the UN, UN bodies and specialised agencies, regional fishery bodies, international and international non-governmental organisations participate in the debate, but without the right to vote. Australia is a member of COFI.

Meetings

Sessions of the Committee are held biennially. The Sub-Committees on Fish Trade and on Aquaculture meet inter-sessionally.

Location

COFI meets at FAO Headquarters in Rome. FAO provides secretariat support for COFI.

Fisheries Department - FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 
ROME ITALY

Links 

For more information visit FAO Fisheries homepage