Photo courtesy INCOPESCA THE FOURTH GLOBAL FISHERIES ENFORCEMENT TRAINING WORKSHOP Protecting Artisanal and Regional Fishing Communities through the Promotion of Legal, Reported and Regulated Fisheries February 17-21, 2014 San Jose, Costa Rica www.gfetw.org Hosted by the International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Network in partnership with the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture, FAO, INCOPESCA, SICA, OSPESCA, Pew Charitable Trusts, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, Marine Scotland, AFMA, and DEFRA
THE FOURTH GLOBAL FISHERIES ENFORCEMENT TRAINING WORKSHOP San Jose, Costa Rica February 17-21, 2014 Wyndham San Jose Herradura Coopera on. Collabora on. Informa on Exchange. Photo courtesy Marco Quesada, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL The fourth GFETW will be hosted by Costa Rica and OSPESCA, the regional fisheries organization in Latin America. MCS professionals from around the world as well as experts from related fields will convene from February 17 21, 2014 in San Jose, Costa Rica in order to exchange experience and to learn from show case examples of good MCS practice. This Fourth Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop will focus on the protection of the livelihoods of artisanal and regional fishing communities dependent on sustainable fisheries. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities may offer short term gain for a few fishermen but they cause long term damage to artisanal and regional fishing communities. The fourth GFETW will build on the success of the past three Workshops, which is building trust between MCS professionals. The previous Workshops promoted coopera on between enforcement authori es across na onal borders and facilitated the introduc on of new monitoring technologies. The workshops have raised awareness for the importance of compliance with and effec ve enforcement of fishing laws. 2005: Malaysia hosted the first GFETW in Kuala Lumpur 2007: Norway hosted the second GFETW in Trondheim 2011: Mozambique hosted the third GFETW in Maputo 2014: Costa Rica to host the fourth GFETW in San Jose
Throughout the past sixty years, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing has proliferated due to the globalization of the fishing industry and increased demand for fishery products. IUU fishing was formally defined in 2001 by the FAO, which defines IUU activities as they concern fishing in contravention with the applicable conservation and management measures. An illegal vessel off the Australian Coast on April 3, 2013. Photo courtesy AFMA ILLEGAL UNREGULATED UNREPORTED The estimations of IUU fishing range from USD$10 23 billion annually. IUU fishing may result in unsustainable exploitation of living marine resources, destruction of aquatic habitats, loss of income and employment of legitimate fishermen and distortion of markets for fishery products. Photo courtesy Marco Quesada, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL In the long term IUU may deplete fish stocks to the point where the viability of the fishery and the conservation of the stocks may be threatened. IUU may undermine sustainable development of coastal populations. Mozambican MCS officials measure nets with gauges. Photo courtesy Stop Illegal Fishing.
Photo courtesy Marco Quesada, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW) is a series of conferences organized by the International MCS Network to improve and enhance capacity and communications of MCS professionals from around the world. Sustainable fisheries can only be achieved when fishing is pursued in compliance with the applicable rules and therefore all fishing activities in the world s oceans and seas should be subject to adequate levels of monitoring, surveillance and inspection. The GFETW offers MCS professionals a unique opportunity to meet their colleagues from around the world to discuss issues related to their work. It is in this way that the GFETW fosters trust between MCS professionals and facilitates international cooperation between national fisheries enforcement authorities which is essential for promoting compliance and thus sustainability. Planned Workshop topics include: Regional MCS Coopera on, Cost Effec ve Fisheries Enforcement, Tackling Transna onal Illegal fishing, Stop IUU Fishing Contest, Partnerships, Sponsorships and Technical Assistance, Promo ng and Funding Capacity Building Registra on informa on can be found at www.gfetw.org. The workshop is not open to the general public. MCS specialists who have exper se in ma ers related to fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance on a na onal, regional or global level are invited to register. The workshop is targeted at opera onal level personnel. Registra on will be capped at 200 par cipants, and based on a first come first served basis. To ensure a global perspec ve sponsored par cipants are selected on the basis of their professional background, geographical representa on and funding status. Simultaneous interpreta on will be provided in English, Spanish and French.
Photo courtesy Marco Quesada, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL A student submission to the Network s 2013 Stop IUU Fishing Drawing Contest from Ong Chai Thing, Malaysia represents the coopera on, collabora on, and informa on exchange that is needed to protect the oceans from IUU fishing. The aim of the International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Network is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of fisheries related MCS. To achieve these goals, the Network promotes the exchange of information and experience between MCS professionals through many initiatives including the Network website (www.imcsnet.org) and the quarterly Network newsletter. Additionally, the International MCS Network oversees a database of qualified MCS experts to assist in capacity building in developing countries. The Network also promotes the exchange of MCS equipment and research between countries. The Network was established by the USA, Chile, Peru, Australia, Canada and the European Union in 2001. The Network fills a critical void in international cooperation, and brings the voice of enforcement authorities to the international level. For more than a decade, the Network has linked MCS practitioners from around the world to cooperate on fisheries enforcement in the fight against IUU fishing. The International MCS Network operates as an informal organization which encourages participation from fisheries inspectors, investigators, attorneys, Foreign Service officers, forensics specialists and others who are involved with fisheries MCS or who respond to IUU activities. Over 50 countries and one regional fisheries management organization currently make up the membership of the Network; members are defined as states, regional economic integration organizations and RFMO s.
Located between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Costa Rica is home to a wealth of natural and marine resources. The country is rich in biodiversity, with many different shark and fish species and close to 40 marine mammal species. Costa Rica has made many efforts to preserve their natural resources by designating marine protected areas, legislating to end shark finning, and putting an emphasis on sustainable fishing. The theme of this GFETW, Small-scale and artisanal fishing, will showcase the local fishing economy, which accounts for 25,000 jobs across the country. The primary fisheries are Red Snapper, Croaker, Grouper, Grunts and Mackerel. San José, the largest city in the country, hosts the National Theater, the Museum of Modern Art, National Museum, Jade Museum, Gold Museum, and others. At the same time, you can visit the Irazú, Poás or Barva Volcanoes, which are within the Central Valley, allowing for a day trip from the city. The Wyndham San Jose Herradura Hotel, the venue for the 4th GFETW, is located just ten minutes from the Juan Santamaria Airport. More information can be found at www.wyndham.com