Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) has begun its 10th General Assembly in Paradise Island Resort, Maldives.
Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture of Maldives Zaha Waheed inaugurated the session. The session that will continue until October 3 is aimed at identifying approaches to implementing Minimum Terms and Conditions formulated by the member countries. Minimum Terms and Guidelines is a guideline setting standards to license foreign fishing vessels to fish in the oceans of other member countries.
The member countries aim to develop a roadmap to implement the guideline in the 10th session of SWIOFC. The assembly will also focus on discussing ways to increase the benefits of other fisheries projects in the region to fisheries and member countries.
Speaking at the inauguration Secretary of SWIOFC Luka Geribaldi said one of the key focuses of the commission is to sustain fishing and fisheries to ensure that it is prolonged for future generations to benefit from fisheries. He also announced two projects to be run this year in this regard.
Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission is a subsidiary of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations formed by the coastal nations in the Southwest Indian Ocean.
The aim of the commission is to organise, manage and sustain fisheries in the region.