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External sources (not reviewed)

A recent assessment has shown that narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomerus commerson), a migratory species found in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and off the coast along Pakistan and India, is overexploited.

(e) The Review Conference reaffirm the fundamental principle of compatibility contained in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and set out in article 7 of the Agreement, with specific reference to the high seas and the necessity of not applying measures in the high seas that might undermine the efficacy of the measures applied to straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks by the coastal State.

[...] this region along the western Indian Ocean coupled with an upwelling, makes this area one of the most productive in the Indian Ocean and an important breeding ground for many migratory fish species.

In particular, UNDP reported that the UNDP-GEF Pacific Islands Oceanic Fisheries Management project in the Western and Central Pacific Warm Pool large marine ecosystem was strengthening national arrangements for the conservation and management of transboundary oceanic fishery resources and the capacity of small island developing States to meet their obligations under the Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission has cooperated with GEF and other partners on an initial three-year project to build capacity in East Asia and the Western Pacific to improve regional information available for tuna fisheries and to conserve and manage highly migratory fish stocks.

(f) Note with interest and appreciate the progress achieved in the application of the precautionary approach in order to ensure long-term conservation of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks and marine ecosystems and stress the need to specify the concept and the implementation of the ecosystem approach.

[...] [...] straddling fish stocks and highly migratory stocks.

FFA reported on several activities: the adoption by WCPFC in 2008 of the resolution on aspirations of small island developing States and territories; maintaining domestic development interests in measures adopted by WCPFC in 2008; promoting the interests of developing States at the second joint meeting of tuna regional fisheries management organizations in 2009; and ensuring that the SPRFMO Convention facilitated the participation of FFA members in accessing straddling stocks and high seas fish stocks in the high seas.

It is also vital to ensure greater information exchange on such stocks and to implement the principle of precaution in order to ensure the long-term conservation of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks, in particular those species at risk, as is the case with sharks.

[...] [...] amounts spent on the coastal areas owing to [...]

[...] [...] Shing Mun River for public enjoyment; [...] [...]

[...] [...] Road and runs along Tsing Hoi circuit [...] [...]

[...] [...] India’s eastern seaboard and its landlocked [...] [...]

Brazil is a committed party to the 1995 Fish Stocks Agreement and is convinced of the relevance of the Agreement to the sustainability of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks.

[...] [...] along the borders and in other high-risk areas.

The United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, in its article 25, provides that assistance to developing countries is aimed at enhancing their ability to conserve and manage straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, enabling their participation in high seas fisheries for such stocks and facilitating their participation in regional fisheries management organizations.

It also stressed the need to avoid the transfer of fishing capacity to other fisheries or areas in a manner that undermined the sustainability of fish stocks, and emphasized the legitimate rights of developing States to develop their fisheries for straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks.

WCPFC also drew attention to the absence of collaborative multilateral arrangements for the conservation and management of highly migratory fish stocks harvested in the South China Sea.

Some responding States and regional fisheries management organizations described efforts to enhance the participation of developing States in those organizations, including through facilitating access to fisheries for straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, in accordance with article 25, paragraph 1 (b), of the Agreement, as well as ensuring that such access benefits the States concerned and their nationals (see also paras. 221-224 and 244-246 above).

Moreover, some target species of marine recreational fisheries (e.g. tuna and marlin) migrate between high seas areas and areas under national jurisdiction.

With regard to draft resolution A/66/L.22, on sustainable fisheries, which calls for, inter alia, making fuller use of the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks and related instruments, Venezuela underlines that this is a highly sensitive matter involving an extremely important sector for our country.

We therefore reiterate our encouragement to States to implement, as quickly as possible, either directly or through regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements, the recommendations of the Conference to improve the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks.

New Zealand observed that the capacity-building needs of Tokelau included stock assessment and scientific research; data collection and reporting; monitoring, control and surveillance; port State measures; development of fisheries for straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks; human resource development; and the sharing of information, including information on vessels and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.

The Permanent Missions of Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru to the United Nations present their compliments to the Secretariat (Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea) and have the honour to refer to the upcoming Review Conference on the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (Fish Stocks Agreement), to be held from 24 to 28 May.

[...] [...] including an update on the landings and estimates of the state of exploitation of stocks of highly migratory species, straddling stocks, discrete high seas stocks [...]

Drawing attention to the particular situation of developing States, Kenya reported that it had not developed protected areas for straddling and highly migratory fish stocks due to its incapacity to enforce compliance by foreign fishing vessels.

The Review Conference reviewed current efforts related to the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, including the adoption of measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of such stocks and to address overfishing, overcapacity and the effects of fishing on the marine environment; cooperation to manage fisheries not regulated by a regional fisheries management organization; and the collection and sharing of data.

Increased assistance should be provided to developing States, including through the Part VII Assistance Fund, to enhance their capacity to conserve and manage straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks in areas under their national jurisdiction and to enable their participation in high seas fisheries for these stocks.

A range of capacity-building needs was identified in connection with these objectives, including building capacity for national stock assessment and analysis; increasing the knowledge of status and management of stocks at regional, subregional and national levels; implementing the regional monitoring, control and surveillance strategy; enhancing technical capacity within national administrations; enhancing capacity for greater domestic participation in highly migratory fish stocks fisheries and other fishing opportunities; and increasing revenue from fisheries and reducing reliance on traditional access agreements; capacity-building programmes on market and trade issues to improve market access; and promoting optimal governance structures and private sector capacity.