Deep-sea Fisheries under the Ecosystem Approach (DSF project) To ensure that DSF in the ABNJ are managed under an ecosystem approach that maintains demersal fish stocks at levels capable of maximizing their sustainable yields and minimizing impacts on biodiversity, with a focus on data-limited stocks, deepwater sharks and vulnerable marine ecosystems. Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency. The thrust of the Project is to ensure that the DSF industry operating in the ABNJ continues to shift to more sustainable fishing practices including the long-term management of fish stocks and the reduction in impacts on associated and dependent species. The project also acts to promote more stable fisheries free from major disruptions in the sector and thus continue to provide employment opportunities and related socio-economic benefits. This will be promoted by improved stock assessments and returning stocks to biomass levels able to produce maximum sustainable yields. Direct socio-economic benefits and contributions to supporting full and productive employment opportunities at the national levels within the scope of a global project where much of the effort is directed to and promoting of policy formulation and adoption, institutional strengthening and capacity development, developing and testing new technologies and information generation and dissemination will be relative few within the 5 year DSF Project (10623) timeframe.Deep sea fisheries in the ABNJ do provide a small number of employment opportunities during fishing operations and socio-economic benefits along the value chain, but neither significantly contributes to any form of nutritional benefit or productive employment in rural areas. The value chain quickly becomes consumed by the larger fisheries that operate within EEZs, and these would be best served by national projects and not a global ABNJ project.The DSF Project (10623) provides an important contribution to supporting the management organisations and the fishing industry to operate sustainably in the ABNJ whilst reducing impacts. This produces direct and global benefits to ensuring the health of the high seas, but there is a potentially more important secondary benefit that is often over-looked. Deep sea and other fisheries in the ABNJ are, in spite of what is often portrayed, managed better now that they have ever been. IUU fishing is likely at its lowest ever point. The result is that most stocks support economically viable fisheries and impacts on other components of the ecosystems are continuously being reduced. The DSF Project (10623) will support this and support improvements in this, to ensure that DSF continue in the ABNJ and continue to be monitored.Some regions are already seeing reductions in the levels of fishing due to low stocks and poor economic returns. And conservations organisations are in general campaigning for formal bans in fishing and increases in closed areas for MPAs. If this were to be successful, and the results are a formal cessation of many legal deep sea fisheries, then a situation similar to the 1960-1970s would quickly return and there would be massive and uncontrolled catches without any regard for environmental protection. IUU fishing would be the norm and likely would be difficult to ever bring under control. This DSF Project (10623) will serve to improve fisheries management and avoid the possibility of an uncontrolled rise in IUU fishing.