WCC 2020 Res 018 - Activity Report

WCPA Freshwater Specialist Group members have assisted in the preparation of inland fisheries related sessions for the 2024 World Conservation Congress. These include sessions on: 'Assessing the Status of Inland Fisheries for Policy'; 'Climate Change Impacts on Inland Fish and Fisheries'; and 'Indigenous People and Local Community-led Fisheries Management'

The following is in reference to operative statement 1a (to support more explicit inclusion of inland fisheries in the post-2020 biodiversity framework, especially through the post-2020 zero draft target 5 and through reference to inland fisheries in SDG Targets 14.4, and 14.6, or in 15.1 (sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems). Members of the WCPA Freshwater Specialist group contributed to a document submitted to the CBD COP 15, calling for an inland fisheries threat indicator (developed by USGS and FAO) to be included as a component or complementary for Global Biodiversity Framework Target 5. The document was submitted through collaboration with the European Bureau for Conservation and Development, IUCN-CEM's Fisheries Expert Group, InFish, and the Inland Fisheries Alliance. A copy of the document is available on the Inland Fisheries Alliance webpage for 'Resources' (https://www.inlandfisheriesalliance.org/resources).

The following is relevant to operative statement 1c (enhance the collection of data to document the status and trends of inland fisheries). The 2022 report for the WCPA Freshwater Specialist Group noted that the work of the WCPA Freshwater Specialist Group on promoting freshwater protections in the CBD Global Biodiversity Framework was linked to collaboration on an analysis of the ‘Success of Reserves for Freshwater Fisheries and Fish’ (with TNC, WWF and University of Nevada-Reno). The initial results of this work were presented at the 2022 Joint Aquatic Sciences meeting in the US, and the work has now been submitted as a manuscript for publication: Koning, A.A., Abell, R., Harrison, I., Winstanley, J., Chandra, S., Loury, E., McIntyre, P.B., Moberg, T. Sutter, R., Thieme, M. & Hogan, Z.

The following is relevant to operative statement 1c (enhance the collection of data to document the status and trends of inland fisheries). WCPA Freshwater Specialist Group members have been contributing feedback to FAO as part of their study of the role of OECMS in inland fishery management. The FAO work is currently focused on regional reviews of the relationships between area-based management and inland fisheries. A workshop is planned for later in the year and it is hoped that a WCPA Freshwater Specialist Group member can be involved.