Decisions 12.44 to 12.46 - Aquatic Wild Meat

The Secretariat should:

a) Subject to the availability of resources, approach the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW) to request a detailed discussion about the assessment and management of aquatic wild meat in order to prioritize work on this issue and ensure that work will complement that already occurring under other organizations and bodies, and to seek agreement to broaden the definition of bushmeat to formally encompass aquatic wild meat;

b) With the assistance of the Working Group, prepare contributions to the development of the Abidjan Convention Action Plan to Combat Trade, Direct Consumption, Illegal Logging, and Other Uses of Endangered, Threatened or Protected Coastal and Marine Species. 

The Scientific Council should:

a) Invite participation of Councillors and external experts, including from across the CMS Family, into the thematic Working Group dealing with aquatic wild meat, to ensure that all affected CMS-listed species are considered; 

b) Report on the activities of the Working Group to each meeting of the Conference of the Parties.  

The Aquatic Wild Meat Working Group should undertake the following tasks:

a) Establish an online repository of papers and other information (knowledge base) on aquatic wild meat to support CMS Parties to reach Targets 2, 5, 6, 11, 13 and 14 of the CMS Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023;

b) Serve as an expert resource that CMS Parties, the Scientific Council and the Secretariat can avail themselves of, if they wish to contribute to the bushmeat/wild meat discussions within the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the CPW, or when international coordination and cooperation is required;

c) Collect and present information about seabird harvests, for consideration by Parties at the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CMS;

d) Facilitate a discussion about the possibility of adding CMS Appendix I-listed sharks and rays to the scope of the Working Group, and form a recommendation for consideration by the Scientific Council;

e) Share information with IWC and, subject to funding availability, participate in future Small Cetacean Sub-committee meetings with a focus on aquatic wild meat; 

f) Assist the Secretariat in preparing contributions to the development of the Abidjan Convention Action Plan to Combat Trade, Direct Consumption, Illegal Logging, and Other Uses of Endangered, Threatened or Protected Coastal and Marine Species;

g) Develop an action plan for supporting Range State Parties, to reduce the impact of aquatic wild meat harvests, for consideration by the Scientific Council; and

h) Report on its activities to each meeting of the Scientific Council.

The Aquatic Wild Meat Working Group of the Scientific Council should, subject to the availability of resources: a) work with the Bycatch Working Group to develop an analysis of the extent of instances where bycatch transitions to aquatic wild meat harvest and report on this for the Scientific Council to provide clear recommendations to the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14). b) undertake the following tasks over the course of the intersessional period and report to the Scientific Council with clear recommendations for CMS Parties for CMS COP14, ensuring that perspectives of species conservation, human health and sustainable livelihoods are taken into account: i. incorporate CMS Appendix I-listed Sharks and Rays into all relevant activities of the working group; ii. continue discussions to establish an online knowledge base as a repository of papers (journal articles, meeting documents etc.) and other information related to aquatic wild meat; iii. serve as an expert resource for CMS Parties, the Scientific Council and the Secretariat to contribute to the bushmeat/wild meat discussions within the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW), or when international coordination and cooperation about aquatic wild meat is required; iv. explore opportunities for greater engagement with the work of the CPW; v. develop a criterion for considering if some Appendix II-listed sharks and rays should be included within the scope of the Working Group; vi. share information with the IWC and participate in future Small Cetacean Subcommittee meetings with a focus on aquatic wild meat; vii. provide support to the Abidjan Aquatic Wildlife Partnership, where the development of the Action Plan to Combat Trade, Direct Consumption, Illegal Logging, and Other Uses of Endangered, Threatened or Protected Coastal and Marine Species overlaps with the conservation of CMS-listed species in the western African region; viii. collect and present information about seabird harvests as aquatic wild meat; ix. develop a sub-regional aquatic Wild Meat action plan for the Gulf of Guinea for consideration by Range State Parties in the region; and develop regional, sub-regional or national actions plans for Range State Parties that request assistance.

The Secretariat shall: a) subject to the availability of resources, continue to liaise with the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW) to promote the inclusion of aquatic wild meat in their work. b) with the assistance of the Working Group, work with the Abidjan Convention Secretariat to ensure synergies between the work of both Conventions on Aquatic Wild meat, in the implementation of CMS COP13 and Abidjan Convention COP13 decisions.