Reports of Observers. 3.3.1 The Convention for Migratory Species presented a statement which is included in Annex 12.
Reports of Observers. 3.3.1 BirdLife International thanked Parties for the invitation to attend MoP4. In respect of progress since MoP3 in implementing ACAP, BirdLife congratulated Parties, Range States and the ACAP Secretariat for excellent progress through effective collaboration. In this regard, BirdLife’s contribution was well summarised in MoP4 Doc 11 Rev 1 and MoP4 Inf 04 Rev 1 (Part 1); important parts of BirdLife’s intended contribution to the AC Work Plan 2013 – 2015 are set out in MoP4 Doc 19.
Reports of Observers. 3.3.1 Canada, Mexico and the USA reported on progress and actions undertaken during the intersessional period. Statements from each Range State are provided in ANNEX 14.
Reports of Observers. 3.3.1 BirdLife International reaffirmed its commitment to assisting Parties, Range States and other organisations in implementing ACAP and noted its comprehensive report on its recent and current contributions (AC4 Doc 42). BirdLife International reported on the FAO Expert Consultation on the IPOA/NPOA-Seabirds (MoP3 Inf 3), noting that the implications of this were mainly relevant under Agenda Item 7. The FAO IPOA/NPOA-Seabirds is an important mechanism for implementing national and international initiatives for reducing or eliminating seabird bycatch in relevant fisheries. The Best Practice Technical Guidelines is a key document assisting Parties in this regard. At the 2007 meeting of FAO-COFI it was agreed to enhance the existing guidelines (which applied only to longline fisheries) by developing practice technical guidelines and to extend them to trawl and, in a preliminary fashion, to gillnet fisheries. BirdLife International worked with FAO to develop an Expert Consultation to produce the new guidelines, to which ACAP contributed both financially and through expert participation. The new guidelines were approved at FAO COFI in March 2009 and are expected to be published in the FAO Series of Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries. BirdLife International considers the implementation of the new guidelines is important to the success of the ACAP Agreement and strongly encourages Parties to make every effort to use the guidelines as a template when updating or preparing NPOA-Seabirds.
Reports of Observers
