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WCC 2020 Res 018 - Activity Report

Submitted by Ian.Harrison on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 00:19
General Information
Valuing and protecting inland fisheries
IUCN Constituent: 
IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee 2021-2025
IUCN Constituent type: 
IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025
Period covered: 
2023
In implementing this Resolution your organization has worked/consulted with...
IUCN Members: 
European Bureau for Conservation and Development ( EBCD ) / Belgium
World Wildlife Fund - US ( WWF - US ) / United States of America
Conservation International ( CI ) / United States of America
The Nature Conservancy ( TNC ) / United States of America
Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future - Cornell University ( ACSF ) / United States of America
IUCN Commissions: 
IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management 2021-2025 (CEM)
IUCN Commission on Education and Communication 2013-2016 (CEC)
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025 (WCPA)
Other non-IUCN related organisations: 
University of Nevada-Reno
Implementation
Indicate and briefly describe any actions that have been carried out to implement this Resolution: 
ActionDescriptionStatus
Capacity-buildingWith reference to operative statement 1d (strengthen IUCN’s focus on sustainable inland fisheries as part of IUCN’s programmes on species, water and ecosystem management), in 2022 the co-Chairs of the SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee joined a cross cutting SSC meeting on developing an intercommissional Task Force to reconcile fisheries and conservation, as stipulated in IUCN 2020 Resolution 107 (https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49246). Our role has been to ensure that inland fisheries are included with marine fisheries in this process. The development of this Task Force, which is being led via the Marine Conservation Committee, has not progressed; but the Freshwater Conservation Committee Co-Chairs remain in touch with the Resolution leads so that we can help with the development as and when that occurs. On-going
Capacity-buildingWith reference to operative statement 2 (request the Commission on Ecosystem Management Fisheries Expert Group to address equally both inland and marine fisheries), in 2021 the Freshwater Conservation Committee Co-Chair reached out to the Fisheries Expert Group and encouraged their greater focus on inland fisheries, and collaboration with the Inland Fisheries Alliance (IFA) as it develops. The IFA is a collaborative group of individuals representing several different organizations (https://www.inlandfisheriesalliance.org/). It is apparent that the FEG is still committed to giving a greater focus on inland fisheries. They helped the IFA and other partners in the preparation of a document on "Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework: An Indicator to Monitor the Threats to Inland Fisheries, as a Component of Target 5" that was submitted to the online document portal for CBD COP 15 in 2022 (also available at: https://www.inlandfisheriesalliance.org/resources). On-going
Education/Communication/Raising awarenessFreshwater Conservation Committee members have assisted in the preparation of inland fisheries related sessions for the 2024 World Fisheries 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'On-going
Policy influencing/advocacyThe 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). Freshwater Conservation Committee Co-Chair Harrison promoted the inclusion of an inland fisheries threat indicator (developed by USGS and FAO) as an indicator for Global Biodiversity Framework Targets 5 and 10. This has been included as part of the recommendations made by SSC in its Global Species Action Plan. On-going
What challenges have you encountered in implementing this Resolution and what measures have you taken to overcome them?: 
It is very difficult to get sufficient policy attention paid to inland fisheries, and the gathering of reliable data on these fisheries. However, we have the support of a strong group of partners in the Inland Fisheries Alliance and the InFish network
Identify and briefly describe what future actions are planned for the implementation of this Resolution: 
Future ActionDescription
Capacity-buildingTo continue to provide input of inland fisheries to the intercommissional Task Force to reconcile fisheries and conservation, as stipulated in IUCN 2020 Resolution 107 (https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49246).
Policy influencing/advocacyTo support any work for better representation of inland fisheries in the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the SDGs.
Additional Information
External link(s): 
Inland Fisheries Alliance