SPFRMO

 

6th Meeting of the RFMO Commission - Lima Peru
26 January - 3 February 2018

  What are Regional Fisheries Management Organisations?

Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO) are international organisations or agreements, formed by countries with fishing interests in a high seas area. Some of these organizations can manage all fish stocks in a particular area, while others focus on specific management of highly migratory resources in large geographic areas.

RFMOs are formed both by countries in the región ("coastal states") and countries with an interest in the fisheries. Some of these organizations have an advisory role, while most RFMOs have management powers to set catch limits and fishing effort, technical and control measures. They play a key role in global fisheries management and are the main tool for cooperation between fishing nations, an essential element for conservation and effective management of international fisheries.

  What is the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and who are part of it?

The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) is an intergovernmental organisation whose establishment was initiated in 2006 through a consultation process that facilitated cooperation among States to address the gap in the conservation and International management of non-migratory fisheries and the protection of biodiversity in the marine environment in the high seas of the South Pacific Ocean.

On November 2009, the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean was adopted, which is Treaty that constitutes the SPRFMO. Subsequently, in accordance with its Article 38, the Convention entered into force on 24 August 2012, and the first meeting of the Commission was held in Auckland, New Zealand, from 28 January to 1 February 2013.

The SPRFMO Commission has currently 15 Members from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania:

Autrañoa Republic of Peru
Republic of Chile Republic of Cuba
People’s Republic of China Republic of Ecuador
European Union Russian Federation
Republic of Korea Chinese Taipei
Kingdom of Denmark in respect of the Faroe Islands The United States of America
New Zealand Republic of Vanuatu
Cook Islands  

Likemise Cooperating non-Contracting Parties (CNCPs) are: Republic of Liberia and Republic of Panama.

  What is the objective of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and its area of application?

The SPRFMO aims to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources and, in doing so, safeguard the marine ecosystems in which these resources exist through the application of the precautionary approach and the ecosystem approach to management fishery.

The Convention applies to waters of the Pacific Ocean beyond areas of national jurisdiction in accordance with international law, it convers about a quarter of the high seas of the Earth. SPRFMO has published a map that describes the area of application in accordance with the legal terms in Article 5 of the Convention, specifies that it is for informational purposes only, has no legal status and does not form part of the text of the Convention.

 PROMOPYME


  How it is structured the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation?

The Organisation consists of a Commission and a number of subsidiary bodies. New Zealand is the Depositary for the SPRFMO Convention and hosts the SPRFMO Secretariat in Wellington.

The Organisation shall consist of:

     
  1. a Commission
  2. a Scientific Committee
  3. a Compliance and Technical Committee
  4. an Eastern Sub-regional Management Committee
  5. a Western Sub-regional Management Committee
  6. a Finance and Administration Committee
  7. a Secretariat

Likewise, according to necessity, the Commission may establish any other subsidiary body in accordance with article 9, paragraph 1, of the Convention.

  What is the objective of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and its area of application?

The SPRFMO defines fishery resources as all fish caught in the Convention Area, including molluscs, crustaceans, and other living marine resources as decided by the Commission; But excluding:.

     
  1. Sedentary species in so far as they are subject to the national jurisdiction of coastal States pursuant to Article 77 paragraph 4 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
  2. Highly migratory species listed in Annex I of the UNCLOS.
  3. Anadromous and catadromous species.
  4. Marine mammals, marine reptiles and sea birds.

The main commercial fishery resources in the SPRFMO area are Jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi), and jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the Southeast Pacific and, to a much lesser degree, deep-sea species often associated with seamounts in the Southwest Pacifi. At present the SPRFMO has only adopted conservation and management measures for the jack mackerel fishery on the high seas, including the establishment of the total allowable catch.



  Since when Peru is member of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation?

The Peruvian government has participated responsibly and actively both during the formal consultations process that led to the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, as from the entry into force of the Convention. The Republic of Peru by Supreme Decree No. 071-2015-RE ratifies the approval of the "Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean ", a treaty constituting the SPRFMO, which was deposited on December 22, 2015. So the indicated Convention entered into force for our country on January 21, 2016, date from which the Peru adheres to the SPRFMO as a full member, with voice and vote.

  Where the Sixth Meeting of the Committee of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation will take place?

At the Fifth Meeting of the SPRFMO Commission, held from 18 to 22 January 2017 in Adelaide, Australia, the Commission accepted the formal offer from the Peruvian government to host the Sixth Annual Meeting of the SPRFMO Commission in the city of Lima, Peru. It should be noted that in Fifth the Meeting Mr. Hector Soldi Soldi, vice Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Production, was elected as Commission Vice-Chairperson of the SPRFMO for a period of two years.

  What is the importance of the Annual Meeting of the Commission of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation?

The importance of the SPRFMO Commission Meetings is that it is the space to evaluate and discuss the information generated by the SPRFMO subsidiary bodies, such as the Scientific Committee in relation of the status of straddling resources (T. murphyi) and jumbo flying squid (D. gigas), which are of interest to Peru. The Meeting also adopted conservation and management measures to ensure the preservation and sustainable exploitation of fishery resources and their marine ecosystems.



If you are coming to Peru for the 6th COMMISSION MEETING you are invited to enter the following link about tourist information about the host country 6th SPRFMO event:
http:www.peru.travel/?internacional#popud

  What actions is the Ministry of Production taking to carry out the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Commission of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation?

The Ministry of Production by Supreme Resolution No. 005-2017-PRODUCE, declared of national interest the organization and implementation of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Commission of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and its associated meetings, which will be held in the city of Lima from 26 January to 3 February 2018.

In addition a Working Group was established by Ministerial Resolution No. 226-2017-PRODUCE, with the aim of preparing, organizing and coordinating the Sixth Meeting SPRFMO Commission and the Compliance and Technical Committee Meeting. These working group it’s chaired by the vice Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Production and composed of officials from the Ministry of Production, Peru's Institute of the Sea, National Fisheries Society, and National Society of Industry.

The aforementioned Working Group under the Technical Secretariat of the General Direction of Policy and Regulatory Analysis in Fisheries and Aquaculture of PRODUCE, was installed and began its functions on June 2 2017. It manages and coordinates in a collaborative maner both the technical and scientific aspects related to the national position in relation to the meetings, and the logistical and administrative aspects to the holding of the meetings.