Report of the Technical Consultation on Marking of Fishing Gear

This Technical Consultation stressed the need to monitor and retrieve abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), improve disposal of fish aggregation devices (FADs), and facilitate communication between different fishing fleets. It highlighted a number of key areas for research and development on gear marking and provided guidance on communication and capacity development. It considered the results and recommendations of two gear-marking pilot projects supported by FAO and recommended that further projects should be conducted to support the implementation of the guidelines. Moreover, it recommended that the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) consider the endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear and the development of a comprehensive global strategy to address ALDFG.