The Committee on Fisheries (COFI), a subsidiary body of the FAO Council, was established by the FAO Conference in 1965.
It is the only global inter-governmental forum where FAO Members meet to review and consider the issues and challenges related to fisheries and aquaculture.
The Committee has fostered the development and adoption of several binding agreements as well as non-binding instruments that have reshaped how the sector works in the interests of resource sustainability (including biodiversity conservation).

The forthcoming session of COFI 34 will mark the 25th Anniversary of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, a key instrument that has been guiding the drive towards sustainable fisheries and aquaculture around the world.
The 25th anniversary comes at a challenging time as climate change, biodiversity loss, unregulated practices and increased competition for the use of marine, inland and coastal areas are threatening our aquatic ecosystems and their precious resources.
Key topics on the COFI agenda will include: the current state of fisheries and aquaculture, the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, aquaculture biosecurity and sustainable growth, the role of small-scale fisheries and the livelihood of coastal communities, as well as illegal fishing and fish operations at sea.
For more information: www.fao.org/about/meetings/cofi/en/