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The conservation and sustainable use of aquatic genetic resources is characterised by intensive international cooperation, in which Germany plays an important role.
Cooperation with the FAO in the field of aquatic genetic resources
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and in particular its Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), plays a central role in international cooperation on the conservation, sustainable use and development of genetic resources for food and agriculture. Aquatic genetic resources (AqGR) have been a dedicated area of work within this framework for several years. The aim is to improve the knowledge and information base on AqGR, raise awareness of their importance for food security, aquaculture and fisheries, and develop international frameworks for their sustainable use and conservation.
A key element of this work is the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITWG-AqGR). The Working Group was initially established as an ad hoc working group in 2015 to provide technical guidance for the preparation of the first global report on the state of aquatic genetic resources. Since 2019, it has been a regular intergovernmental technical working group of the CGRFA. It reviews the situation and key issues related to AqGR, advises the Commission and formulates recommendations, supports the implementation of the CGRFA’s Programme of Work, and reports to the Commission on its activities. The Working Group normally meets every two years and provides an important forum for international scientific, technical and policy exchange.
Over the past 10 to 15 years, Germany has played an important role in shaping and supporting the development of this area of work within the CGRFA. Germany has participated in all meetings of the ITWG-AqGR to date and has contributed in particular to the development of international knowledge and information resources as well as to the establishment of common technical and policy instruments. A particular focus has been Germany’s support for the preparation of the first State of the World’s Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SoW-AqGR), published in 2019. The report provided the first global assessment of AqGR and was based on country reports from 92 countries, collectively covering 96 percent of global aquaculture production. It thus established, for the first time, a common global knowledge base and terminology for further international cooperation.
Building on the findings of the State of the World report, the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Development of Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (GPA-AqGR) was developed and endorsed by the CGRFA in 2021. The Global Plan of Action provides an important international framework for measures aimed at improving the conservation, sustainable use and development of aquatic genetic resources.
Germany has also provided substantial financial and technical support for the development of the Aquatic Genetic Resources Information System (AquaGRIS). Developed by the FAO, the global information system was launched as a publicly accessible database in 2024. It enables the standardized collection and analysis of information on aquatic genetic resources, in particular on farmed aquatic species and their wild relatives. AquaGRIS is intended to improve the information base for the national and international monitoring and assessment of the status of AqGR and to provide an important basis for future global assessments.
The Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity (IBV) of the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) supports the work at national level and contributes to Germany’s participation in the relevant international processes.
Cooperation with the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization
The Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity (IBV) serves as the German national contact point for reporting obligations towards the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) and supports the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH) in representing German interests within the framework of the European Union’s membership in NASCO.
Founded in 1983, NASCO is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the conservation, restoration and promotion of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations in the North Atlantic. It brings together the Contracting Parties – Canada, Denmark in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, the European Union, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States – to coordinate international efforts for the conservation of the species and the sustainable, science-based management of its populations. The cooperation is guided by a precautionary approach and is based on jointly adopted resolutions, agreements and guidelines.
Originally, NASCO’s work focused primarily on the regulation of international salmon fisheries. Today, the organization follows a more comprehensive approach encompassing three main areas: the management of salmon fisheries; the protection and restoration of habitats; and the impacts of aquaculture, introductions and transfers, stocking and transgenic activities on wild salmon populations. Scientific knowledge and the exchange of data and experience among Contracting Parties provide an important basis for developing and implementing conservation and management measures.
With the adoption of its Ten-Year Strategy in 2024, NASCO has placed greater emphasis on concrete and measurable actions to address the pressures affecting wild Atlantic salmon. The aim is to slow the decline of wild salmon populations while demonstrating that their recovery is possible. A key element of this strategy is the fourth reporting cycle, which runs from 2026 to 2032.
An important basis for this cycle is provided by the Stressor Analyses carried out by the Contracting Parties and jurisdictions. These analyses identify the major pressures (“stressors”) affecting wild salmon populations at the national or jurisdictional level and assess and prioritize their significance. Germany also contributed to this process by preparing its Stressor Analysis in 2025.
Based on these analyses, Conservation Commitment Reports (CCRs) are being prepared for the fourth reporting cycle. Each Contracting Party or jurisdiction identifies concrete actions addressing its three highest-priority stressors. For each stressor, one to three actions are defined, together with clearly specified and measurable outcomes. Implementation and progress are subsequently reported and reviewed on a regular basis. In addition, annual Performance Indicators are used to monitor progress in implementing NASCO’s resolutions, agreements and guidelines. The fourth reporting cycle thus links the analysis of the key pressures affecting wild salmon with concrete national actions and measurable outcomes.
NASCO is also the main initiator of the International Year of Salmon, a multi-year initiative focused on 2019.
Germany participates in these processes as part of the European Union’s membership in NASCO. In this context, the IBV supports the fulfilment of Germany’s reporting obligations and contributes to the scientific and technical coordination of international cooperation for the conservation of aquatic genetic resources.
