FAO Committee on Fisheries
Background and Purpose
The Committee on Fisheries (COFI), a subsidiary body of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Council, was established by the FAO Conference at its 13th 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. The Committee also reviews specific matters relating to fisheries and aquaculture referred to it by the Council or the Director-General of FAO, or placed by the Committee on its agenda at the request of Members, or the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. The work of the Committee aims to supplement the work of other fisheries and aquaculture organisations. Currently there are two Sub-Committees under COFI, the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade and the recently established 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 and is expected to chair the next meeting of COFI in 2005.
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 address - overcapacity, combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and making members of the regional fisheries management organizations 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 recent FAO Plan of Action on IUU fishing and has called on COFI to take strong further action against IUU fishing.
Members
COFI membership is open to any FAO Member and non-Member eligible to be an observer of the Organisation. Representatives of the UN, UN bodies and specialized 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 25th Session was held 24-28 February 2005. 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.
Postal Address
Secretary COFI
Fisheries Department
FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100
Rome
Italy