Scientific Approaches for the Assessment and Management of Deep-Sea Fisheries and Ecosystems in RFMOs and RFBs

Globally, there are ten regional organisations responsible for the management of fisheries for non migratory species in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) have a legal mandate to ensure the sustainable use of marine living resources in these areas, although the two organisations in the eastern and western equatorial Atlantic (CECAF and WECAFC) are limited to an advisory role and formally designated Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs) only. Unlike RFMOs, RFBs do not have a Convention document, and cannot implement binding measures to which member states must adhere (e.g. areas closed to fishing). In this review, we discuss the varying strategies adopted by these organisations to manage deep-water fisheries (400m and deeper), with a particular focus upon measures designed to limit deleterious impacts upon sensitive benthic ecosystems.