The Committee expressed concern about the level of fishing capacity which was higher than prior to the 2004 tsunami in some of the areas affected by the disaster and recognized that it called for the design and implementation of sustainable and effective fisheries management arrangements that included a gradually phasing out fishing overcapacity, monitoring, access and livelihood considerations.

During the first half of the 1990s, in response to the increasing concern about many of the world's fisheries, a number of international fisheries instruments provided an impetus for countries to strengthen their fisheries management. A key step in supporting such efforts is the development of more detailed, systematic and comparable information on fisheries environments and management trends. The State of World Marine Capture Fisheries Management Questionnaire was developed by FAO in 2004 to help meet this need.

This CD-ROM is a compilation of several FAO species identification publications dealing with Elasmobranches (Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras). It includes complete publications such as the Catalogue of sharks of the world, the Field guide of sharks and rays of the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the Field guide of sharks and rays of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Fish and fish products are among the most traded food commodities: close to 40 percent by volume ends up in international markets. Yet around three-quarters of fish exports finish up in just three markets: the European Union, Japan and the United States of America. China is an increasingly important player both as an exporter and an importer. Consumers expect that the fish they have access to will be safe and of acceptable quality, regardless of where they are produced or ultimately consumed.

The Working Party received national reports of each of the countries and examined the status of fisheries catch and effort data and statistics. It discussed minimum data requirements for effective fisheries management in five generic fisheries types: industrial shrimp, artisanal shrimp, trap fisheries, demersal line and beach seine fisheries.

This technical paper provides a comprehensive overview of feed and fertilizer use for sustainable aquaculture development in developing countries. It comprises a series of review papers, including eight country reviews from Asia, six country reviews from Africa, one case study report from Asia, three regional reviews (Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa), a global synthesis as well as the final report of the FAO Expert Workshop on Use of Feed and Fertilizer for Sustainable Aquaculture Development, held in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China, in 2006.

Fish genetic resources (FiGR) comprise all finfish and aquatic invertebrate genetic material that has actual or potential value for capture fisheries and aquaculture. In capture fisheries more species are becoming endangered and more stocks overexploited. Management of FiGR can help maintain and rebuild these fisheries. Deep-sea fisheries and modern genetic technologies are emerging areas that require attention.