UN FISHERIES AGREEMENT HELPS PROTECT THE WORLD’S OCEANS

11 December 2001

New York - Today Greenpeace welcomed the entry into force of the United Nations Fisheries Agreement, a global treaty for conserving world fisheries and protecting marine biodiversity. The treaty will require far greater protection of the oceans in the face of massive overfishing if implemented effectively.

The UN Agreement for the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks* applies to fisheries around the world for species such as tuna, cod, Alaska pollock, hake, halibut, Jack mackerel, and Patagonian toothfish.

So far, 30 countries have ratified the treaty. However, only three, Norway, Russia and the United States, of the top ten fishing nations identified by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation have ratified it. The other seven of the top ten, China, Japan, Peru, Indonesia, Chile, India, and Thailand, have yet to ratify the UN Agreement. The European Union, one of the top fishing powers as well, has also failed so far to ratify.

“By all indications, the oceans are under severe threat from overfishing and the nations of the world must act fast to stem the decline,” said Mathew Gianni, Greenpeace International Oceans Campaign Coordinator. “It is imperative that China, Japan, Chile, the European Union and other major fishing powers ratify the treaty.”

The UN Agreement establishes groundbreaking conservation provisions to protect biodiversity in the oceans from the impact of fishing, minimise bycatch and waste in fishing operations, eliminate excess fishing capacity (the problem of too many boats), collect comprehensive data on fish catches, and assess the impact of fishing on the marine environment. It also requires governments to take into account the interests of small-scale and subsistence fishing communities and ensure their access to traditional fishing grounds.

The UN Fisheries Agreement was finalised in 1995 after two years of negotiations. Greenpeace was an active participant throughout the process at UN headquarters in New York.

“This Treaty represents a fundamental advance in international fisheries law and ocean conservation,” added Gianni. “Overfishing is not only a threat to the health of the world’s oceans, but also a major threat to global food security. A billion people in Asia alone depend on fish as a primary food source, making fisheries conservation an international priority.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Matthew Gianni - Greenpeace International Oceans Campaign Coordinator + 31 629 001 135
Natalia Truchi - Greenpeace International Press Officer +31 621 296 908

Fishstocks that straddle or migrate across the political boundary between national Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and international waters. Such fish are under particular stress because they are fished by a number of different countries and fleets either side of the boundary. In most instances, countries cannot agree on conservation measures to prevent overfishing.

For more information on what the Treaty will do if implemented effectively see Greenpeace International’s “Analysis of the United Nations Treaty for the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks”, December 1995.

To see which countries ratified the treaty and which did not: www.un.org/Depts/los