Location: Victoria BC, Canada
Date: 30 - 31 October, 2005
Hosted by: University of Victoria

Context: International fisheries management systems are failing: high seas fish stocks are collapsing, ecosystems are imperiled and biodiversity is under direct threat. The depletion of fish stocks threatens the structure, functioning and resilience of ecosystems that provide the basis for global food security and economic development as well as long-term planetary welfare.

The adoption and implementation of good governance arrangements is the key issue - without a proper management framework in place, the best management measures simply cannot be introduced let alone implemented, especially on the high seas. L20 leaders would be particularly effective by providing a critical push to mandate of some of the specific actions required. In particular, an L20 Leaders forum could make significant headway by committing to pursue implementation of existing commitments; promote the use of trade and market measures to improve enforcement and promote compliance; improve the effectiveness of RFMOs; reduce domestic over-capacity in fishing fleets and technologies; engage developing countries; and mandate a series of further studies. (Excerpts from papers by Kristina Gjerde, and Simon Cripps and Alistair Graham)

Papers

Simon Cripps & Alistair Graham		Hypothetical Communiqué on International Fisheries Governance by the L20 Leaders
Kristina Gjerde		L20 Manifesto on International Fisheries Governance
Alastair Macfarlane		L20 Leaders’ Summit on Fisheries Governance
Carl-Christian Schmidt & Anthony Cox		Tackling Incentives to Over-Fish
Ussif Rashid Sumaila		Conjectural Communiqué

Backgrounders

Michael W. Lodge

International Fisheries Governance Background Paper