Announcement: Workshop on Testing OECM Practices and Strategies

ICES and the IUCN Fisheries Expert Group (IUCN-CEM-FEG) will hold the online Workshop on Testing  OECM Practices and Strategies (WKTOPS) on 15-24 March 2021.

The Workshop responds to the considerable interest in the scientific community and among fisheries managers and policy-makers in exploring the extent to which ABFMs may contribute significantly enough to biodiversity conservation to be identified as OECMs, and included in States’ reporting of their contribution to global biodiversity targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

WKTOPS has four terms of reference (ToR) which task the workshop to evaluate, through the use of case studies, the step-wise identification process proposed to decide on whether an ABFM could qualify as an OECM. The elements of guidance provided will be tested for clarity and efficacy of structuring the evaluation process, for the usefulness of the products in providing a robust scientific evidence base for decision-makers, and documented in a workshop report. Further details can be found on the ICES website.

The workshop will be limited to 30 participants, excluding the co-chairs. Interested participants can complete the Express of Interest Form and return it to the WKTOPS supporting officer (maria.lifentseva@ices.dk) by 20 December 2020. If the workshop is oversubscribed, please note that ICES will reserve the right, in consultation with the workshop chairs, to select the final workshop participants based on their expertise and geographical distribution. Selected participants and case study areas will be announced by 8 January 2021.