Large-Scale Pelagic Drift-Net Fishing ; Unauthorized Fishing in Zones of National Jurisdiction and on the High Seas ; Fisheries By-Catch and Discards ; and Other Developments

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 39c Large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing, unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and fisheries by-catch and discards, published in 1998.

What’s in this document?

14 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, 49/116 and 51/36, 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, and that such authorized fishing operations should be carried out in accordance with the conditions set out in the authorization;

Notes the obligations of States outlined in Parts IV and V of 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 Stocks1 regarding non-members and non-participants and duties of flag States respectively;

Calls upon States and other entities referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, of the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas that have not done so to accept the Agreement;

Notes that no party to the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas shall allow any fishing vessel entitled to fly its flag to be used for fishing on the high seas unless it has been authorized to do so by the appropriate authority or authorities of that party, and that a fishing vessel so authorized shall fish in accordance with the conditions set out in the authorization;

Welcomes initiatives undertaken in the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations to organize an expert consultation to develop and propose guidelines leading to a plan of action aiming at a reduction in the incidental catch of sea birds, to organize an expert consultation to develop and propose guidelines leading to a plan of action for the conservation and effective management of shark populations and to hold a technical consultation on the management of fishing capacity to draft guidelines for the control and management of fishing capacities;

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-third session and biennially thereafter a report on further developments relating to the implementation of resolutions 46/215, 49/116, 49/118, the status and implementation of the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas and efforts undertaken in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations referred to in paragraph 8 of the present resolution, taking into account the information provided by States, relevant specialized agencies, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization, 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-third session, under the 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 on the high seas; fisheries by-catch and discards; and other developments".

Large-Scale Pelagic Drift-Net Fishing ; Unauthorized Fishing in Zones of National Jurisdiction and on the High Seas ; Fisheries By-Catch and Discards ; and Other Developments

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

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What’s in this document?

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