**[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO)](http://www.fao.org/)**

Founded in 1945, the FAO is the oldest and largest Specialized Agency in
the United Nations\' family (175 members plus the European Community)
and has as its mission the alleviation of hunger by modernizing state
practice in the areas of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

[**Committee on Fisheries
(COFI)**](http://www.fao.org/fi/body/cofi/cofi.asp)   Established by
FAO\'s highest governing body in 1965, COFI is the pre-eminent global
fisheries policy and agenda-setting body where fisheries and aquaculture
problems and issues are examined and recommendation addressed to
governments, regional fisheries bodies, the private sectors, and the
international community at large.  It meets biennially.

**[FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible
Fisheries](http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/static?xml=CCRF_prog.xml&dom=org)**

Adopted by consensus in 1995, the Code sets out principles and
international standards of behavior for responsible fisheries, including
aquaculture, with a view to ensuring the effective conservation,
management, and development of living aquatic resources with due respect
for the ecosystem and biodiversity.  It addresses fisheries management,
fishing operations, aquaculture, coastal area management, post-harvest
practices and trade, and fisheries management in marine as well as
freshwater areas.

[**International Plans of
Action**](http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/static?xml=CCRF_prog.xml&dom=org&xp_nav=2,3)

As elaborations of the Code, FAO has developed and adopted International
Plans of Action on:

> \- [**Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline
> Fisheries**](http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/static?dom=org&xml=ipoa_seabirds.xml)
>
> \- [**The Conservation and Management of
> Sharks**](http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/static?dom=org&xml=ipoa_sharks.xml)
>
> \- [**The Management of Fishing
> Capacity**](http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/static?dom=org&xml=ipoa_capacity.xml)
>
> \- [**To Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and
> Unregulated (IUU)
> Fishing**](http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/static?dom=org&xml=ipoa_IUU.xml)
>
> In the case of the first three of these, states, individually and
> collectively, are called on to assess the dimensions of the problem,
> formulate a management response, and regularly conduct reassessments
> and reporting.  If a management response is appropriate, it is to be
> formulated in a National Plan of Action.  The International Plan on
> IUU Fishing does not call for assessment, but, rather, for states to
> consider the adequacy of their roles as flag states, coastal states,
> port states, and market states in combating IUU fishing and to do so
> in a National Plan of Action. 

The United States has completed **National Plans of Action** on all four
topics---[**Seabirds**](http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/seabirds/npoa/npoa.pdf),
[**Sharks**](ttp://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/Final NPOA.February.2001.htm),
[**Fishing
Capacity**](http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/reg_svcs/npoa.capacity.8.4.04.pdf),
and [**IUU
Fishing**](http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/international/NPOA_IUU_files/NPOADETER.pdf)
.

[**Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture
Fisheries**](http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/006/Y4859T/Y4859T00.HTM)\
The Strategy, which is also an elaboration of the Code, aims to improve
the collection and analysis of fisheries status and trends information
by states and regional fisheries bodies.

[**Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and
Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas (Compliance
Agreement)**](http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/static?xml=CCRF_prog.xml&dom=org&xp_nav=2,2)\
Actually a part of the Code, the Compliance Agreement is a legally
binding international agreement requiring its contracting parties
specifically to authorize any fishing on the high seas by vessels
entitled to fly their flags and effectively to control that fishing.

**Other FAO Links**:

[Aquaculture](http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/static?dom=root&xml=aquaculture/index.xml)

[Fisheries
Meetings](http://www.fao.org/fi/NEMS/events/fisheries_events.asp?lang=en)

[Regional Fisheries Bodies](http://www.fao.org/fi/body/rfb/index.htm)

[The State of World Fisheries and
Aquaculture](http://www.fao.org/sof/sofia/index_en.htm)\
This report is prepared for the consideration of the biennial COFI
meeting.