Fisheries and aquaculture emergency response guidance.
Review recommendations for best practice.
By
Benjamin Cattermoul
David Brown
Florance Poulain
Abstract:
This document contains the proceedings of the FAO workshop entitled “Fisheries and Aquaculture Emergency Response Guidance: Review Recommendations for Best Practice” held from 15 to 16 March 2012 in Rome, Italy. Experts in the field of the fisheries and aquaculture policy and management, post-harvest practices and trade, fishing operations, environment and of social development and vulnerable groups contributed technical background papers relating to the challenge of responding to emergencies that effect the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Populations that depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods are threatened not only by natural hazards but also by human-induced events and other developments beyond their control. Responding to an emergency situation in fisheries and aquaculture presents a range of complex issues. The demand for improved guidance for response and recovery in fisheries and aquaculture sector was voiced by FAO partners including recently in a series of consultation meetings relating to disaster risk management held in 2009 and 2010 (FAO, 2010 (a), FAO 2010 (b). in response, FAO is leading a process to develop guidance for disaster response and recovery in fisheries and aquaculture.
The fisheries and aquaculture emergency response guidance (the Guidance) compile the best practice in disaster response and recovery for fisheries and aquaculture and in turn help to ensure the disaster response and recovery for fisheries and aquaculture is consistent with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Guidance will support both the saving of lives and the saving of livelihoods through two key strategies: by assisting in the identification of the most appropriate fisheries and aquaculture interventions in emergencies; and by setting out the best practice and providing guidance notes for these interventions.
In the process of developing the best practice and guidance, a team of experts were invited to identify best practice and guidance across a range of technical areas. This workshop was designed to provide the opportunity for discussions around the recommendations for the best practice and how these could be presented in the form of guidance. This document consolidates the outcomes from this discussions and presentations in three areas: 1- the challenges to implementing best practice in an emergency context, 2- the opportunities present by the emergency context; 3- and the recommendations for best practice as presented by each of the technical experts.
In the closing session of the workshop, the challenges of bringing response efforts across the elements of fisheries and aquaculture to create coherent guidance were emphasized as was the need to take advantage of the opportunities presented by an emergency situation to make a contribution to long-term development by “building back better”. In supporting the use of the Guidance, the participants emphasized the importance of a programme that enables it to be disseminated in the most effective form for the target users.
Contents:
- Workshop summary
- Contributed papers:
- Fisheries and aquaculture policy and management.
- Provision and repair of fishing vessels in response to emergencies.
- Aquaculture.
- Support to post – harvest fisheries and markets in response to emergencies.
- Environmental management of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in emergency response situations.
- Thematic background paper: food and nutrition security in fisheries and aquaculture emergency.
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