• ICFO Resolution Calling for Fair WTO Trade Rules on Fishery Products in Cartagena, Colombia in 2005
  • ICFO Resolution Calling for Fair WTO Trade Rules on Fishery Products
  • We participants in the ICFO Plenary Meeting held at Hilton Cartagena, Colombia, on 20 September, 2005,
  • Recognizing that small scale fisheries provide more than half of the world’s supply of food from the sea and freshwater, and thus contribute to food security,
  • Recognizing that in most countries, small scale fisheries constitute the majority of fisheries, and therefore, supporting small-scale fisheries through an enabling environment is very important as is reported by FAO Committee on Fisheries at its 26th Session, held in Rome, during 7-11 March, 2005,
  • Recognizing that there is necessity to support small scale fishers of both fish exporting and fish importing countries, and for this purpose, to ensure sustainability of these fisheries is essential, and one of the ways with which to attain that purpose is through the establishment of fair WTO trade rules on fishery products,
  • Noting that small scale fisheries and aquaculture need to be protected from the standpoint of multiple functions they have, in addition to food supply to the people,
  • Resolved as follows:
  • 1. that the importance of sustainability of fisheries, and among others, of small scale fisheries, should be duly taken into
  • consideration in the WTO trade rules to be established, and for this purpose, each country should be allowed to have the right to maintain reasonable levels of tariffs and non-tariff measures. Further, each government should be allowed to use safeguard measures as appropriate
  • 2. that fisheries subsidies should be allowed as long as they do not distort trade
  • 3. that such aspects as environmental conservation, hygienic conditions and safety of food should be given due consideration
  • in the WTO rules, and for this purpose, appropriate labeling measures should be introduced
  • 4. that WTO rules on fishery products should be made as such that would contribute to the improvement of socio-economic status
  • of small scale fishers.
  • Signed on this 20th day of September, 2005
  • at Hilton Cartagena, Colombia
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