2 Tools Can Help Countries Better Participate in Fisheries Compliance Reviews

Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) are responsible for ensuring that many of the world’s commercial fisheries that target shared fish stocks are sustainable and do not harm the environment. To fulfil that mandate, RFMOs set catch limits, rules on fishing practices, and other policies; review how their members enforce those regulations for fishing fleets; and recommend actions to address non-compliance.

However, RFMO compliance review processes are labor-intensive, requiring members to collect, manage and report large amounts of data; prepare for and participate in meetings; and take follow-up actions, and many RFMO members have stated they do not have capacity to fulfill these requirements. To help RFMO members identify and begin to address the institutional barriers and human and technical resource gaps that prevent them from effectively engaging in review processes, The Pew Charitable Trusts, in consultation with a wide range of experts, developed two tools:

• The self-assessment tool is a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions that collect information on members’ engagement with RFMOs, internal coordination systems, and participation in the stages of RFMO compliance review processes to identify key areas of need.
• The individual agency questionnaire helps countries that have multiple ministries or departments involved in compliance review processes collect information from those agencies to help complete the main assessment tool.

All information collected as part of the capacity assessment process, including the results, is intended for the exclusive internal use of the country unless it chooses to share any of the information with third parties or the public. None of the information entered in the tools is collected or shared with Pew.

For questions or suggestions, please contact [email protected].