Honiara Summit
Iumi tugeda delivering on SDG 14.4: Achieving Sustainable Fisheries
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Sustainable Development Goal 14, Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, recognizes the importance of conserving marine resources and the crucial role they play in human well-being and social and economic development worldwide. This importance underpins, for example, the FAO’s Blue Transformation roadmap and is reflected in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. Tracking progress on Goal 14 helps countries assess their natural capital, the sustainability of their development strategy and the health of their marine ecosystems.
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Goal 14 is comprised of 10 interconnected targets, and SDG 14.4 (FAO is the custodian for the indicator selected to measure progress on this target) specifically addresses the sustainability of marine fishery resources: achieving sustainable fisheries. It calls for the effective regulation of fishing practices to end overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and destructive fishing methods.
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The goal aims to restore fish stocks to sustainable levels by applying science-based management plans that ensure the long-term health of marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of communities that depend on them.
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The 10 SDG14 targets are recognized as interconnected, and in relation to SDG 14.4, this is particularly important in the Oceania region, which has the highest contribution of sustainable fisheries to the national GDP
worldwide.
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Discussions and action will focus on key challenges and opportunities across the sector, including:
The worsening trends globally show fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels in decline, sitting at 62.3% (2021 data) from 90% in 1974.
Positive trends for fishery resources such as commercial management systems and learnings in the case of tuna fisheries, where 85% of the commercial catch comes from sustainable stocks with healthy abundance levels.
Reflect on the challenges faced by the sector in terms of data, science, analysis and monitoring of coastal fishery resources and capacity gaps present in predominantly Small Island Developing States.