Committee for Fisheries

The Committee for Fisheries meets twice yearly and considers reports prepared by the OECD Secretariat on a variety of topics including fisheries management, trade issues, financial assistance, and sustainable and responsible fisheries issues.

The Committee for Fisheries mandate, which is contained in the Report of the Preparatory Committee of the OECD, reads:

The Preparatory Committee agree that the activities of the Organisation concerning agriculture and fisheries should be strengthened and closely integrated with the Organisation's other activities in pursuit of the objectives of the Convention.

With regard to activities in the fisheries sector, appropriate arrangements will have to be made by creating a special, separate Committee.

The Committee recommends that the following activities should continue to feature in the programme of work:

a) Confrontation and consultations on fishery policies under their different aspects with a view to promoting the harmonious development of these policies among Member countries in accordance with the objectives of the Organisation and the undertakings entered into under the Convention;

 

b) Examination of the overall situation of fisheries in Member countries and of the prospects including examination of the trend of supply and demand;

 

c) Study of the possibilities for improving the marketing and distribution of fish products with a view to determining measures which could be adopted nationally and internationally; similar studies in the field of means of production;

 

d) Surveys of the market situation for the main fisheries products and formulation, in co-operation where necessary with the Trade Committee, of proposals for remedial measures in the event of market difficulties;

 

e) Examination in liaison and co-operation with the Trade Committee of trade problems directly connected with agricultural and fishery policies and falling within the mandate of the Organisation in trade matters as described in this Report;

 

f) Assistance to the economic, trade and technical activities of other bodies of the Organisation in implementing the aims of the Organisation concerning countries, or in special cases, areas in process of economic development;

 

g) Practical work designed to promote a better use of production factors and to promote technical progress in fisheries including marketing and distribution.

The Committee is assisted in its deliberations by a Bureau and a Secretariat.

Besides the OECD members Argentina, Chinese Taipei, the Russian Federation and Thailand participate in part or all of the Committee's work as observers.

Participants to the deliberations of the Committee for Fisheries are national representatives, usually from Ministries that deals with fisheries issues.