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Vigo Dialogue 2020September 2020

Due Diligence and the Implication of COVID-19 of Fisheries Management and Policies

Ms. Shivani Kannabhiran, OECDMr. Will Symes, OECD

OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains

• Incorporates expectations on responsible business drawn from the OECD Guidelines for MNEs, UNGPs, the ILO

• Also draws upon Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture (CFS-RAI Principles) and the Voluntary Guidelines on Tenure (VGGT)

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The Guidance offers a practical framework to identify and address risks in agricultural supply chains

5-step framework for due diligence • prevent and mitigate negative

impacts• contribute to sustainable

development

Applies to companies along value chain, including investors

Covers multiple social and environmental risks, plus animal welfare

Characteristics of due diligence

§ Preventive § Risk-based: Commensurate to the severity

and likelihood of the impact, and prioritized accordingly

§ Flexible: Nature and extent of due diligence tailored to company size, context, severity of adverse impacts, etc.

§ Dynamic – ongoing, responsive and changing§ Informed by engagement with stakeholders § “Leverage” is essential to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts

directly linked to operations, products or services by a business relationship

§ Disengagement a last resort and considering impacts of disengagement

§ Due diligence does not shift responsibilities

For more information

• OECD Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains Website: https://mneguidelines.oecd.org/rbc-agriculture-supply-chains.htm

• OECD-FAO Guidance fact sheet: https://mneguidelines.oecd.org/Brochure_OECD-FAO-Guidance.pdf

• Brochure – How the OECD-FAO Guidance can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: http://mneguidelines.oecd.org/How-the-OECD-FAO-Guidance-can-help-achieve-the-Sustainable-Development-Goals.pdf

Contact:

Shivani.Kannabhiran@oecd.org

Sector Lead, Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains

OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct5

COVID-19: FISHERIES POLICY AND VALUE CHAINSWill Symes, Fisheries Policy Analyst

Vigo Dialogue, September 2020

COVID-19 and fisheries: Impacts and policy responses

• Reduced demand, particularly HORECA sector

• Effort reduction in some areas• Disruption of routes to market:– Reduced international travel– Closure of fish markets

• Reductions in fisher income

http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/fisheries-aquaculture-and-covid-19-issues-and-policy-responses-a2aa15de/

COVID-19 and fisheries: Impacts and policy responses

• OECD tracking COVID-19 policies for fisheries

• Support to fishers during COVID should be:– Temporary– Support individuals, not inputs– Don’t compromise sustainability goals

67

25

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Number ofGovernment

support measures

Total changes tofisheries

management rules

Total changes tosupply chainregulations

http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/fisheries-aquaculture-and-covid-19-issues-and-policy-responses-a2aa15de/

COVID-19 and fisheries: Impacts and policy responses

• Long and medium term impacts still largely unknown

• Potentially pressure to increase catches and extend seasons with large long-term costs

• Increase and promotion of direct to consumer sales and market diversification.

COVID-19 and Fisheries: Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

• Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing poses significant risks to fisheries:– Undermines management regimes by

obscuring effort levels– Reduces the profitability of legitimate

fishing– Lost government revenues

© Francisco Blaha

COVID-19 and Fisheries: Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

• Reduced in-person on-board observation and inspections in both domestic and multilateral fisheries

• Increased opportunity for IUU:– Widespread expectation of increase amongst

regional fisheries bodies– But how fishers respond is complicated

• Policies at RFMO and country level to prevent IUU are vital: – E.g. transparent vessel registries, port state

measure and market measure

THANKS FOR LISTENINGOECD fisheries work: https://www.oecd.org/agriculture/topics/fisheries-and-aquaculture/COVID-19: Issues and policy responses: http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/fisheries-aquaculture-and-covid-19-issues-and-policy-responses-a2aa15de/

For more information please contact:Will.symes@oecd.orgClaire.delpeuch@oecd.org