![]()
| |
Endangered Seas Press Release Index November 1997
TOP FISHING NATIONS DRAG FEET ON UN FISH STOCKS AGREEMENT | |
NEW YORK -- Releasing a Scorecard today identifying recalcitrant nations, WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature called on the UN General Assembly to take immediate action against overfishing by encouraging the world's top fishing nations to sign the landmark UN Fish Stocks Agreement*, negotiated here nearly two years ago. "It's a real shame that eight of the top 20 fishing nations have not even signed the Agreement," said Michael Sutton, Director of WWF's Endangered Seas Campaign. "These 20 nations, which account for about 80 per cent of the world's marine fish catch, have a special responsibility to safeguard the marine environment and the future of world fisheries." The UN Fish Stocks Agreement sets new international standards for the conservation of marine fishes. The WWF Scorecard lists the top 20 fishing nations and identifies the four that have signed and ratified the Agreement. Although 59 countries have signed the treaty, so far only 15 have ratified it. At least 30 countries need to approve the treaty for it to enter into force. The United States, Russian Federation, Norway and Iceland are alone among the top 20 fishing nations to have ratified the Agreement. In contrast, Chile, Peru, India, Thailand, North Korea, Mexico, Malaysia and Vietnam have failed to sign the treaty. "This Agreement offers real hope of reversing the decline in world fisheries," added Mr Sutton. "But foot-dragging and a lack of political will among the top fishing nations has so far prevented the treaty from entering into force. Until this Agreement is implemented, the world's fishing fleets will continue to plunder the high seas virtually unchecked." Overfishing, inadequate management, and destruction of essential habitat have pushed many populations of cod, haddock, plaice, Atlantic salmon, bluefin tuna, sharks, swordfish and other species to all-time lows. According to the UN Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO), at least 60 percent of the world's top 200 marine fish species are either overfished or fished to the limit. The responsibility for putting the UN Fish Stocks Agreement to work lies with member governments and regional fisheries management organisations. Many of the latter, such as the Atlantic Tunas Commission (ICCAT) have allowed the species under their jurisdiction to decline sharply. The UN Agreement will help reverse this trend by requiring fishery managers faced with uncertainty to adopt the "precautionary approach" and err on the side of conservation rather than exploitation. The treaty also requires nations to cooperate with each other and with regional organizations in managing fisheries; promotes the use of "clean" or non-destructive fishing gear; mandates fisheries management bodies to open themselves to public scrutiny; and contains a dispute-resolution mechanism designed to prevent future "fish wars."
Contact: * United Nations Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks | |
![]() |