UNEP-BPSP THEMATIC STUDIES

Integration of Biodiversity into National Fishery Sectors

Introduction This report is one of eight thematic reviews prepared for the Biodiversity Planning Support Programme (BPSP), jointly-implemented by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme, with core financial support from the GEF. The BPSP was created to help countries strengthen national capacity to prepare and implement National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans in compliance with Article 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The study consists of the following: 1. Biodiversity and Fisheries: a Primer for Planners (Spanish, French) This synthesis report is an overview of fisheries and biodiversity, in four sections, designed to give planners a good understanding of the most important issues and concepts relating to sectoral integration of biodiversity into the fishery sector. Each section of the report includes a short, annotated list of key bibliographic resources, as well as suggested development investments . The former are the papers and reports that readers should make the effort to add to their libraries; the latter are suggestions distilled from workshop discussion (see below) and are aimed at development agencies. The primer includes a comprehensive bibliography of over 170 references. 2. Managing Fisheries for Biodiversity - 11 Case Studies This section contains the full text and four page summaries of 11 papers prepared for the Thematic Workshop Blue Millennium: Managing Global Fisheries for Biodiversity, funded by the GEF (throughUNEP) and IDRC and held in Victoria, BC in June 2001. 3. Aquatic Biodiversity in the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans of Signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity This section will provide readers with a global overview of what individual nations are doing (or planning to do) in the area of aquatic biodiversity and fisheries. A snapshot of country strategies and action plans is provided in the Summaries for Countries with Significant Aquatic Biodiversity Concerns. A more detailed synthesis of this material is provided in Country Thematic Reviews which are in four sections of countries alphabetically: Argentina-Colombia; Congo-Maldives; Mexico-Sri Lanka; Tanzania-Zambia. These two sections comprise a handy compendium of countries and their aquatic biodiversity and while they reflect the effort put into National Reports, they are highly useful for reference and comparison. 4. Appendix of Useful Websites and Supplementary References to provide the reader with additional resources relating to the integration of biodiversity and fisheries.