Large-Scale Pelagic Drift-Net Fishing ; Unauthorized Fishing in Zones of National Jurisdiction ; and Fisheries By-Catch and Discards

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 24c Large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing and its impact on the living marine resources of the world's oceans and seas; unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and its impact on the living marine resources of the world's oceans and seas; and fisheries by-catch and discards and their impact on the sustainable use of the world's living marine resources, published in 1997.

What subjects does this mandate have?

11 subjects

Coastal States Coordination Within UN System Drift-Net Fishing Financial Assistance Fishery Conservation Fishery Legislation Fishery Management Law Enforcement Law of the Sea Reporting Procedures Technical Cooperation

What’s in this document?

10 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms the importance it attaches to compliance with its resolution 46/215, in particular to those provisions of the resolution calling for full implementation of a global moratorium on all large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing on the high seas of the world's oceans and seas, including enclosed seas and semi-enclosed seas;

Notes that a growing number of States and other entities as well as relevant regional and subregional fisheries management organizations and arrangements have adopted legislation, established regulations or applied other measures to ensure compliance with resolutions 46/215 and 49/116, and urges them to enforce fully such measures;

Urges all authorities of members of the international community that have not done so to take greater enforcement responsibility to ensure full compliance with resolution 46/215 and to impose appropriate sanctions, consistent with their obligations under international law, against acts contrary to the terms of that resolution;

Calls upon States to take the responsibility, consistent with their obligations under international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea2 and resolution 49/116, to take measures to ensure that no fishing vessels entitled to fly their national flags fish in areas under the national jurisdiction of other States unless duly authorized by the competent authorities of the coastal State or States concerned; such authorized fishing operations should be carried out in accordance with the conditions set out in the authorization;

Urges States, relevant international organizations and regional and subregional fisheries management organizations and arrangements to take action to adopt policies, apply measures, including through assistance to developing countries, collect and exchange data and develop techniques to reduce by-catches, fish discards and post-harvest losses consistent with international law and relevant international instruments, including the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries;

Reiterates its call on development assistance organizations to make it a high priority to support, including through financial and/or technical assistance, efforts of developing coastal States, in particular the least developed countries and the small island developing States, to improve the monitoring and control of fishing activities and the enforcement of fishing regulations, including through financial and technical support for regional and subregional meetings for this purpose;

Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all members of the international community, relevant intergovernmental organizations, the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, regional and subregional fisheries management organizations, and relevant non-governmental organizations, and invites them to provide the Secretary-General with information relevant to the implementation of the present resolution;

Also requests the Secretary-General to ensure that reporting on all major fisheries-related activities and instruments is effectively coordinated and duplication of activities and reporting minimized and that relevant scientific and technical studies are disseminated to the international community, and invites the relevant specialized agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as well as regional and subregional fisheries organizations and arrangements, to cooperate with the Secretary-General to that end;

Further requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session and biennially thereafter a report on further developments relating to the implementation of resolutions 46/215, 49/116 and 49/118, taking into account the information provided by States, relevant specialized agencies, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and other appropriate organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, regional and subregional organizations and arrangements and other relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session, under an item entitled "Oceans and law of the sea", a sub-item entitled "Large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing; unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction; and fisheries by-catch and discards".

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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