ABNJ Deep- Sea Fisheries Project update for the NPFC 5th Scientific Committee Meeting

The achievements from the first phase (2014-2019) and the development of the second phase (2022-2027) of the FAO ABNJ Deep-Sea Fisheries under the Ecosystem Approach (DSF) projects are described. NPFC was a key partner during the first phase and made valuable contributions to help meet the project’s objectives.
The DSF Project in its second phase will support the implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries, with a focus on data-poor stocks, significant adverse impacts on VMEs, and deepwater sharks. It is hoped that NPFC’s expertise in these matters will make a strong contribution to the DSF Project. Further, expertise from other regions will be brought to NPFC, allowing for the global development in these important areas of concern. 
The DSF Project also wishes to contribute to an understanding of the application of international instruments by RFMOs and fishing nations, including the implications of the BBNJ negotiations, to position the fisheries sector as key players in ocean governance.