Ocean and Fisheries

APEC’s Oceans and  Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) was formed in 2011, following a decision to merge the Marine Resource Conservation and the Fisheries working groups (in operation since 1990 and 1991, respectively).

The OFWG aims to support APEC’s mission to foster sustainable economic growth, development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.  The OFWG works to facilitate free and open trade in the region and promotes the sustainable use of fisheries, aquaculture, and marine ecosystem resources and related goods and services.  The OFWG will promote cooperation among its members, governments, academia, private industry, and regional and international organizations to advance this process.

The OFWG is committed to

1. Take continued action to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, build capacity to address the negative impacts of IUU fishing on APEC Economies, sustainable fisheries, food security, and continue enacting measures to combat IUU through further implementation of the Roadmap on Combatting IUU fishing
2. Encourage the development of tools to assess and address the physical and economic impacts of marine litter, marine debris, and ghost fishing gear on APEC economies, fisheries, and the marine environment through the progress made in the implementation plan for the Roadmap on Marine Debris
3. Take action to implement initiatives that contribute to the resilience and sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in APEC Economies, including support for COVID-19 recovery, fisheries and aquaculture supply chains, the livelihood of communities, and food security
4. Make the aquaculture and fisheries sectors more resilient to climate change and mitigate their contribution to climate change through advancement of conservation and sustainable management regimes
5. Promote continued activities within APEC which are consistent with the common view of the blue economy as agreed at the 3rd OFWG Meeting in 2014
6. Enhance cooperation with relevant public and private stakeholders, including through participation in OFWG initiatives and communication of OFWG materials
7. Recognize the importance of the role played by women in fisheries and aquaculture
8. Recognize the common challenges faced by the agriculture sector, particularly relative to food security

Contacts

Current Activities

Latest meeting

The 23^rd Ocean and Fisheries Working Group plenary meeting was convened on 14-15 August 2024 in Trujillo, Peru. OFWG members actively engaged in the discussion on individual actions and the group’s collective activities to implement the 2019 APEC Roadmap on Marine Debris Management, the 2019 Roadmap on Combatting IUU Fishing and the Small-scale Fisheries and Aquaculture Roadmap. The group reflected OFWG works since 2022 through the assessment process and discussed the way forward, focusing on developing the strategic plan and preparing for the renewal of terms of reference in 2025. New proposals on upcoming projects and activities were shared by members and guests.

Activities and events in 2024

• OFWG held two plenary meetings in 2024. The 22^nd OFWG meeting was held on 25-26 February 2024 in Lima, Peru on the margins of the First Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM1). The 23^rd OFWG meeting was held on 14-15 August 2024 in Trujillo, Peru on the margins of the Food Security Ministerial Meeting.
• Project events in 2024

1. Workshop on “Sharing Knowledge and Experiences on Small-Scale Marine Fisheries Data Collection and Management for Sustainable Development in the APEC Region” (OFWG 01 2022) took place on 31 January to 2 February in Bangkok, Thailand
2. Workshop on Fostering Women’s Economic Empowerment for a Resilient Marine Industry (OFWG 01 2024S) took place on 6-7 May in Keelung City, Chinese Taipei
3. Workshop on the application of biotechnology in fishing and aquaculture to improve management, sustainability and productivity in APEC economies (OFWG 04 2024S) took place on 13 August in Trujillo, Peru
4. The 23rd APEC Roundtable Meeting on the Involvement of the Business/Private Sector in the Sustainability of the Marine Environment (OFWG 03 2024S) took place on 28-29 August in Chinese Taipei
5. Developing best practices to address coastal marine oxygen loss in APEC economies for improving the management of marine living resources (OFWG 201 2023A) took place on 30 September to 3 October in Paracas, Peru
6. Research and Workshop on Development of Sustainable Ventures in Small-Scale Aquaculture in APEC Economies (OFWG 01 2023) will take place on 24-25 October in virtual format
7. APEC Workshop on Marine Ecological Environment Health (OFWG 05 2024S) will take place on 24-25 October in Qingdao, China
8. Workshop on Low-Carbon Ocean Economy Policies of APEC Economies (OFWG 07 2024S) will take place on 24-25 October in Qingdao, China
9. The 2nd APEC Workshop on Protection, Restoration and Ecological Disaster Reduction of Typical Coastal Ecosystem (OFWG 09 2024S) will take place on 24-25 October in Qingdao, China
10. 2024 APEC Training Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning (OFWG 08 2024S) will take place on 7-9 November in Xiamen, China
11. Exchange of experiences in the development and implementation of a Fisheries and Aquaculture Traceability System, to strengthen the traceability of hydrobiological resources or products, and combat Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing (OFWG 202 2023A) will take place on 18-20 December in Lima, Peru

• There are nine publications published on APEC publications database that include  research and reports done by OFWG members, contributing to OFWG objectives and APEC vision and plan of actions.