Policy coherence entails the application of mutually reinforcing policies across government departments

to achieve objectives consistent with internationally agreed development goals. The current fisheries

situation poses particularly interesting issues of policy coherence, both in terms of ensuring sustainable and

responsible fisheries and with regard to the major importance of developing countries as suppliers of fish to

OECD markets.

Some 500 million USD are spent annually on fisheries development projects. Concurrently, fisheries access

agreements and trade policies are sometimes applied in ways that dampen developing countries' ability to

benefit fully from their rich marine resources. Also, many development projects do not pay sufficient regard

to the sustainability issues that are a key for the future of the fishing sector. The fisheries sector is a central

sector for poverty reduction in many developing countries. Analysis of these issues is novel and offers

important insights into how the development and fisheries policy communities can advance their future

co-operation to ensure sustainable and responsible fisheries.

This publication is a compilation of papers and records of the Workshop on Policy Coherence for Development

in Fisheries, hosted by the OECD's Committee for Fisheries and Development Assistance Committee in Paris

24-25 April 2006.