The second session of the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission was attended by delegates from Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, the Republic of Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen. Representatives of The World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Swedish Board of Fisheries, the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP), the Regional Seas Program of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI), New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) also attended the session as observers.The Commission noted the work undertaken since the first session, considered the report of the Scientific Committee, agreed on a set of recommendations, approved the establishment of a Working Group on Fisheries Data and Statistics, and agreed to link with the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP) through a Committee to be established within the Commission. The Commission will hold a regional conference on: sustainable fisheries development and its contribution to the Millennium Development Goals within two years; the key topics of the Conference were decided.
The Commission agreed to renew its efforts to engage in ongoing national and regional monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) activities and assist with a regional directory of MCS personnel. It elected a Bureau composed of Seychelles, Madagascar and Mozambique to steer the Commission intersessionally and at the third session that will take place in Seychelles in 2007.