20 years of responsible fishing: celebrating the FAO Code of Conduct
In October 1995, 170 nations came together to adopt the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The document, formulated by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), consists of guidelines for sustainable fisheries management. It represents a global consensus on a range of fisheries and aquaculture issues.
Use of the Code is voluntary, but it has functioned as a guide for many organisations, including the Marine Stewardship Council. In fact, the MSC Fisheries Standard was one of the first models for sustainable fishing to base its requirements on the FAO Code of Conduct, giving fisheries the opportunity to demonstrate their sustainability against internationally recognised best practice.
20 years since the Code’s introduction, MSC Director of Science & Standards, Dr David Agnew, talks about its significance and looks to the future with hope.
Delegates are meeting in Vigo, Spain to celebrate 20 years since the UN FAO first published its Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing on 8-9 October 2015 . Follow the event on Twitter: #Vigo15
David Agnew
Prior to joining the MSC, Dr Agnew was the Fisheries Director of the fisheries consultancy MRAG Ltd. He also worked for the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), where he served for 15 years as Principal Scientific Advisor to the UK Government. In this role, he conducted research and advised on management of the South Georgia marine ecosystem and Antarctic fisheries. Dr Agnew is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Fisheries and Population Biology at Imperial College London.
Latest posts by David Agnew (see all)
- How does MSC compare to other seafood labels? - November 15, 2016
- Study says global fish catch is higher than reported, but there is hope - January 21, 2016
- 20 years of responsible fishing: celebrating the FAO Code of Conduct - October 8, 2015
