Rationale
The ecosystem approach has emerged as the anticipated perfect mechanism for managing natural resources and the environment. Traditionally, management efforts have been focused around particular uses such as agriculture or tourism, resulting in separate governance regimes for each use. Over time it has become apparent that such a sectoral approach results in conflicts among users and is inadequate in meeting the need for environmental protection. Today, considerable efforts are being done to formulate strategies and guidelines to make the ecosystem based management operational (such as those developed by FAO and UNEP), which generally explain, beside the principles of the approach, the stepwise processes to shift from traditional types of management to the ecosystem based management. Coinciding with its mission and in light of a number of international agreements and initiatives (e.g. WSSD 2002, Regional Seas’ Jeddah Declaration and Strategic Directions 2007), PERSGA is striving to implement the ecosystem based management to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden fisheries. An essential requirement for this is building capacities to ensure that the bodies responsible for management are able to successfully implement ecosystem approach in the region. PERSGA has organized a workshop on ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF), and established initiative in the region since 2009. The previous workshop was based on guidelines developed by FAO to assist implementing the ecosystem approach in fisheries management practices. The workshop has achieved the objective of introducing the concept and establishing a regional forum and process for EAF implementation in the region, coordinated by PERSGA LMR. As a further step PERSGA organizes the current workshop which focuses on Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCSs) mechanisms and tools within the Ecosystem Approach to fisheries management. The workshop will contribute to enhancing implementation of EAF through providing technical conduct for mainstreaming the approach in one of the most important instrument in fisheries management, which is the MCS system.

Objectives
The workshop training program is designed to assist the participants acquiring the background conceptual approaches and methodologies for mainstreaming ecosystem approach in the existing Monitoring, Control and Surveillance systems of fisheries management. The workshop will also provide a platform for discussing regional cooperation exchange of expertise in fisheries MCS system plans and operational practices in PERSGA countries.

Participants
Participants in this workshop will be the senior officials and specialists in national fisheries administration and research or coastal marine environmental management departments. The total expected number for this course is not to exceed 25 participants.

Date and Duration
The duration of the course is three working days and will be conducted during September 26th – 28th 2011

Location
To be defined later (in one of the coastal cities of PERSGA countries) Organizers The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden – PERSGA.

Language
The training language is English. Arabic will be used as an assisting medium where needed.