The Fourth International Fishers Forum (IFF4) was held in Puntarenas, Costa Rica in November 12-14, 2007.  IFF4 was hosted by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council together with the Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Aceuicultura (Costa Rica Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute, INCOPESCA), and was supported by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Royal Caribbean International, Hawaii Longline Association, Avina Foundation, and Japan Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation.

IFF4 continued the focus of previous Forums on solving the incidental capture of seabirds and sea turtles in longline fisheries.  In addition, IFF4 addressed bycatch management of two additional species groups, sharks and cetaceans, and approaches to mainstream bycatch avoidance strategies through commercially viable and equitable regulatory methods.  The aim of IFF4 was to motivate fishers and industry to recognize and find effective and practical ways to address these issues and to further promote responsible longline fisheries.

Proceedings of the Fourth International Fishers Forum
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Press Release: Fishermen Commit to Responsible Fishing Practices (November 14, 2007)
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Puntarenas Declaration
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Mission and Objectives
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