Draft Report: Review of the Coastal Fisheries Working Group And
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12th SPC Heads of Fisheries Meeting 12–14 May 2020 – Virtual meeting Original: English Paper reference: Working Paper 6 Draft Report: Review of the Coastal Fisheries Working Group and options and Title: recommendations for increasing the engagement of non-state actors in Pacific Islands’ regional coastal fisheries governance Author(s): MRAG-Asia Pacific (Andrew Wright and Duncan Souter) Summary/short description/key points: The Review was commissioned by SPC to, inter alia, assess the effectiveness of the CFWG against its Terms of Reference and to provide options and recommendations for a new mechanism to replace the CFWG, as requested by Regional Fisheries Ministers at their Special Meeting in 2019. Guiding principles for consideration of an alternative mechanism to support the strategic consideration of coastal fisheries in regional processes are proposed. Recommendations: Heads of Fisheries (HoF) are invited to consider refinements and adaptations to the Regional Technical Meeting on Coastal Fisheries (RTMCF) as the means to achieve an increased profile for coastal fisheries as envisioned by Leaders in their decision that led to the establishment of the CFWG in 2016 and to strengthen initiatives for sustainable coastal fisheries that support livelihoods and community well-being in SPC members. To elevate coastal fisheries management in the regional agenda, as envisioned by Leaders in their decision that led to the establishment of the CFWG in 2016, HoF12 is invited to consider establishing: i. A community-based fisheries management item in the agenda of the RTMCF; or ii. Conducting a meeting, to be convened immediately before the RTMCF, focused on community-based fisheries management. It is proposed that two days be assigned for whichever option is adopted. 12th SPC Heads of Fisheries Meeting Working Paper 6 — p. 2 Executive summary 1. A Review of the Coastal Fisheries Working Group (CFWG) is presented. CFWG history is summarized, and experience with it analysed, as a basis for considering options to i) raise strategic coastal fisheries development and management issues with Leaders, and ii) support increased opportunities for the contribution of non-State actors to initiatives supporting coastal fisheries management at the regional level. 2. The Review was commissioned by The Pacific Community (SPC) to, inter alia, assess the effectiveness of the CFWG against its Terms of Reference (ToR) and to provide options and recommendations for a new mechanism to replace the CFWG as requested by Regional Fisheries Ministers at their Special Meeting in 2019. 3. A summary of regional deliberations that led to the formal establishment of the CFWG is presented. An assessment of the successes, constraints and effectiveness of the CFWG, including lessons learnt across its four meetings that were convened between 2017 and 2019, is included. 4. Guiding principles for consideration of an alternative mechanism to support the strategic consideration of coastal fisheries in regional processes are proposed. 5. Heads of Fisheries (HoF) are invited to consider refinements and adaptations to the Regional Technical Meeting on Coastal Fisheries (RTMCF) as the means to achieve an increased profile for coastal fisheries as envisioned by Leaders in their decision that led to the establishment of the CFWG in 2016 and to strengthen initiatives for sustainable coastal fisheries that support livelihoods and community well-being in SPC members. 6. The experience with the CFWG, together with increasing SPC member experience in other fora, particularly in regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), is reviewed to provide a basis for considering how each option could be implemented. Recommendation 7. To elevate coastal fisheries management in the regional agenda, as envisioned by Leaders in their decision that led to the establishment of the CFWG in 2016, HoF12 is invited to consider establishing: a. A community-based fisheries management item in the agenda of the RTMCF; or b. Conducting a meeting, to be convened immediately before the RTMCF, focused on community-based fisheries management. 8. It is proposed that two days be assigned for whichever option is adopted. 12th SPC Heads of Fisheries Meeting Working Paper 6 — p. 3 Background 9. The Pacific Community commissioned a consultancy to address the requests from the 11th Heads of Fisheries Meeting (March 2019), the 4th Coastal Fisheries Working Group meeting (March 2019) and the Special Regional Fisheries Ministers Meeting (June 2019) concerning the need for a review of the Coastal Fisheries Working Group and options and recommendations for increasing the engagement of non-state actors in Pacific Islands regional coastal fisheries governance, specifically: 10. The 11th Heads of Fisheries Meeting Outcomes noted: Heads of Fisheries: f. Requested that SPC raise the issues of reporting lines and member government and other representation on the Coastal Fisheries Working Group (CFWG) at the next CFWG meeting. 11. The 4th CFWG meeting agreed to a review of the CFWG Terms of Reference, including membership. 12. In June 2019, a Special Regional Fisheries Ministerial Meeting ‘Statement of Outcomes’ noted: Coastal Fishery Working Group Brief on ‘A call to Leaders’ 9. Ministers noted the work of the Coastal Fisheries Working Group but expressed concern regarding its lack of accountability to member Governments. Ministers noted the proposed review of the CFWG Terms of Reference in 2020, and recommended to SPC that the CFWG be disbanded and that other options be considered for giving effect to the Leaders’ decision in 2016 in relation to coastal fisheries (para 10, 47th Leaders Communique). Ministers called for the SPC Heads of Fisheries to be the primary vehicle for formulating advice on coastal fisheries management to the RFMM. 13. SPC FAME commissioned MRAG-Asia Pacific to undertake the consultancy: a. To review the successes, challenges and effectiveness of the Coastal Fisheries Working Group (against its Terms of Reference), including a review of the Terms of Reference, and capture lessons learnt; b. Provide options and recommendations to the 12th Heads of Fisheries Meeting (16-20 March 2020 [postponed to mid-May]) for a new mechanism and/or entity to replace the Coastal Fisheries Working Group to give effect to the Pacific Island Forum Leaders’ decision in relation to coastal fisheries (paragraph 10, 47th Leaders Communique, 20161), taking into consideration the changed regional context; and 1 Forum Communiqué, 47th Pacific Islands Forum, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, 8-10 September, 2016. http://www.forumsec.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-Forum-Communique_-Pohnpei_-FSM_-8- 10-Sept.pdf 12th SPC Heads of Fisheries Meeting Working Paper 6 — p. 4 c. Based on the agreed recommendation of the 12th Heads of Fisheries Meeting, provide SPC FAME Coastal Fisheries Programme with a final report including a realistic and costed implementation plan and associated systems and procedures to establish the new mechanism and/or entity (including, for example, how it would fit into existing regional frameworks, and any draft terms of reference). 14. The review was undertaken between February and May 2020. Consultations supporting the review occurred in late February and early March 2020. 15. Available CFWG-related documents, including meeting reports, were reviewed. While this was underway, SPC FAME provided a list of stakeholders in the CFWG together with their contact details. Each was formally advised of the Review through official and technical contact points by SPC. Included in the formal notification was an invitation to all stakeholders to complete an on- line questionnaire. Responses to the questionnaire (10) were confidential to the consultants. The consultants separately contacted stakeholders by email and, where possible, to supplement email responses received, additional discussions were undertaken during meetings in person, by phone or by Skype. Meetings in person were possible in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Noumea. Solomon Islands was originally scheduled to be visited but coronavirus-related travel restrictions prevented that. 16. A Preliminary Draft Report was circulated to all Members and other stakeholders in early March 2020 for feedback. 17. The final Draft Report has taken that feedback into account and is presented in Attachment 1 for your review and consideration. HoF12 Working Paper 6 - ATTACHMENT 1 Review of the Coastal Fisheries Working Group and options and recommendations for increasing the engagement of non-state actors in Pacific Islands’ regional coastal fisheries governance Final draft version [HoF12 discussion version] MRAG Asia Pacific SPC FAME 10 April 2020 Acronyms CBF Community-based fisheries CBFM Community-based fisheries management CBO Community-based organization CBRM Community-based resource management CCAMLR Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources CEAFM Community-based ecosystems approach to fisheries management CFP Coastal Fisheries Programme (SPC) CFWG Coastal Fisheries Working Group CITES Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna CRGA Committee of Representative Governments and Administrations CROP Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific CSO Civil society organization DFAT Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade EU European Union FAME Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division (SPC) FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FFA Pacific