- The course, to be held at CIHEAM Zaragoza in May 2024, is addressed to fisheries managers, competent authorities in fisheries monitoring, technical advisors and other specialists involved in the topic.
©FAO/Giulio Napolitano
Monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) plays a fundamental role in fisheries management and is the focus of an international course that CIHEAM Zaragoza organises together with FAO in May 2024, in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
The international legal framework on this matter safeguards the conservation of marine resources and promotes sustainable fisheries, whilst assisting in efforts to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).
Suitable training and education is key for an effective implementation of MCS-related policies. In this context, the two-week course will provide participants with a sound knowledge of fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance, combining lectures, practical work, case studies and two technical visits to the General Secretariat of Fisheries (Madrid) and a Mediterranean fishing port.
The course will cover: i) an overview of fisheries management; ii) an introduction to MCS; iii) MCS information (types, sources, uses, and management); iv) MCS programmes and schemes; v) technology used in fisheries MCS; vi) technical aspects of MCS enforcement; vii) introduction to the FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) with due emphasis on interagency coordination, cooperation and information exchange, and viii) FAO Fisheries Information Systems.
Interagency coordination, cooperation and information exchange will also be addressed.
By the end of the course, the participants will:
- understand the principles by which fisheries may be managed sustainably;
- comprehend the nature of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, its impacts, challenges and links with other criminal activities;
- have detailed knowledge of the international framework of binding and non-binding instruments and mechanisms and the policy, legal and institutional frameworks which underpin efforts to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing and contribute to sustainable fisheries;
- have a broad and comprehensive understanding of the different aspects of fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance systems and their application;
- understand the role of enforcement and identify its critical components;
- be aware of the importance of integrating, using and applying advanced technology as part of an effective MCS implementation;
- recognise the requirement, value and importance of interagency collaboration and cooperation;
- appreciate from practical field experience how the foregoing fit together.
PARTICIPATION AND REGISTRATION
The course is designed for a maximum of 25 professionals with a university degree, and is addressed to fisheries managers, competent authorities in fisheries control and monitoring, technical advisors and other specialists involved in the topic.
Knowledge of English will be valued in the selection of candidates, since it will be the working language of the course. Participation is open through registration. Check here all the details.
- Dates: 13-24 May 2024
- Organisers: CIHEAM Zaragoza and FAO, with the collaboration of MAPA-SGP
- Venue: CIHEAM Zaragoza (Spain)
- Application deadline: 11 February 2024
