Information for responsible fisheries : librarians as mediators: synthesis of Thursday, 13 October 2005 -"Fisheries Day" and continued cooperation between IAMSLIC and FAO

Abstract

One full day of the 2005 IAMSLIC Conference was dedicated to papers and discussion about fisheries issues. Given the setting at FAO, the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the role of fisheries libraries in supporting its implementation were highlighted. The papers gave insight into fisheries information, the characteristics of a responsible fisheries library, and the needs of information users and producers. The following synthesizes ideas and issues described in the presentations, placing them within the context of the Code and recurring themes of the conference. Issues discussed include the following: the needs of users versus producers of information; the nature of information and libraries for responsible fisheries; geospatial information; the Information Commons; information as a development tool; and, technical disparity. Further collaboration between FAO and IAMSLIC is warranted.