9 February 2012
Beijing, China
On February 9, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the completion of negotiations on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Fisheries Cooperation between Canada and China. This milestone is another step in advancing the Government of Canada’s commitment to the long-term conservation and sustainability of living marine resources. Negotiations towards this MOU with China have been underway since 2010.
Canada and China enjoy excellent cooperation in the area of marine resources management, and both countries are committed to sustainable, science-based management. The MOU provides a broad framework for strengthening bilateral and multilateral collaboration between a number of international and regional fisheries management organizations.
In addition to facilitating collaboration on eliminating the global trade in illegal, unreported and unregulated fish products, the MOU establishes a joint bilateral committee that will meet annually to promote fisheries cooperation between Canada and China. This will enable the two countries to share experiences and best practices in fisheries science and aquaculture management.
Now that negotiations are complete, the next step is for both countries to sign the MOU, which is expected to happen in 2012. The MOU will take effect immediately following its signature and will remain effective for an indefinite period. Specific activities under the MOU will be established over the coming months.
In the past, China’s State Oceanic Administration and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have collaborated in the area of fisheries through the Canada-China Memorandum of Understanding on ocean science cooperation, which was signed in 2010. They have also worked together multilaterally in various regional fisheries management organizations and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
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