The importance of the conservation and management of fisheries resources through sub-regional and regional fisheries organizations and other arrangements to achieve sustainable utilization has been stressed at various international fora in recent years. The strengthening of the FAO regional fishery bodies with a view of making these bodies more effective in the conservation and management of fisheries will be discussed at the Twenty-second Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries in March 1997 . The present Circular describes the recent developments concerning the conservation and management of the fisheries resources and provides information on the present role of the FAO regional fishery bodies. The document also includes a number of options on the future role of these bodies.