de info@agritrade.cta.int (Smedley, Clare ) At the 30th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), the Committee endorsed the report of the 13th session of the sub-committee on fish trade. This report highlighted the importance of FAO’s role in building up the capacity of small-scale producers and processors in developing countries to access markets and add value to their production. To address this issue in more detail, an item on small-scale fisheries will be on the agenda of the next session of the sub-committee on fish trade. The terms of reference for future work on developing best-practice guidelines for traceability were also discussed, with some members noting that this will be an important tool in the fight against illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing. The committee stressed that these best-practice guidelines for traceability should look at the following principles: traceability best practices should not create unnecessary barriers to trade; they should be equivalent, risk-based, reliable, simple and transparent. The committee expressed its concern ‘at the proliferation of private standards and eco-labelling schemes potentially leading to the creation of trade barriers and restrictions’. Some FAO members felt that it was necessary for FAO to develop an evaluation tool to assess the conformity of eco-labelling schemes with the FAO guidelines for the eco-labelling of fish and fishery products from marine capture fisheries. The committee agreed that it would also be useful to assess the impacts of eco-labels on fisheries management and economic benefits. ACP countries highlighted the need to build their capacity for developing an aquaculture sector. Tanzania, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire noted problems for accessing quality fish feed. Consequently, enhanced cooperation will be developed between the FAO and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to improve capacity development in aquaculture technologies through South-South cooperation. On a request from Senegal and the EU, one of the work priorities for FAO will be to encourage ‘further studies of the impact of industrial fishing activities on species corresponding to low trophic levels’ (like small pelagics) – these species constitute the ‘forage fish’, increasingly sought after to provide fishmeal used in agri- and aqua-culture. Senegal particularly emphasised the importance of small pelagics for food security and livelihoods of West African coastal populations.