Policy and Implementation Issues Implementing the global consensus. The vast majority of World Bank client countries have endorsed the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, which is a voluntary instrument. A major target of the World Bank’s new partnership, the Global Program on Fisheries (PROFISH), is to assist client countries in implementing the provisions of the Code. The implementation of the Code presents numerous challenges. Although many of the technical challenges have been addressed in the Technical Guidelines (box 6.7), the development and application of effective policies requires political commitment and technical guidance. The convening power of the World Bank and its ability to develop and finance solutions gives the Bank a strategic advantage in addressing contentious issues of resource allocation. Under the Code of Conduct a number of International Plans of Action have also been agreed by FAO Member Countries. These Plans, which are among the targets of the WSSD Plant of Implementation (box 6.6), address the control of fishing (fleet) capacity; illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and measures to mitigate the impact of fishing on threatened species such as sharks and seabirds. Poor uptake and implementation of the Code and Plans have generated several partnerships to address key issues. Generating political willingness for reform: the PROFISH partnership. The World Bank established PROFISH to improve sustainable livelihoods in the fisheries sector and make concrete progress towards the WSSD goals in fisheries. PROFISH is a programming and funding partnership between the World Bank and key fishery sector donors, developing countries, stakeholder organizations, and international agencies. PROFISH is not an investment fund but provides for (1) country-level fisheries analyses and (2) under Development Grant Facility (DGF) funding, provides for global fisheries goods in the areas of knowledge management, development of toolkits, and guidelines and advocacy. The country-level analyses are expected to lead to an increased investment in fisheries policy reform, good governance, and pro-poor fisheries strategies by mainstreaming sustainable fisheries initiatives into the national economic planning frameworks.
    
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