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 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 need to 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.