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Work with other nations to protect and conserve shared living marine resources.

Increasing world population and wealth have led to higher demand for edible fish and excess capacity of fishing boats. The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) forecasts that by 2010, worldwide demand for seafood will top 110 million tons, but catches will fall short by 40 million tons. Nearly 70% of the world's marine fish stocks are overfished, fully exploited, or rebuilding only under protective management regulation. Pressure to increase production already has the industry fishing farther down the food chain, causing potential imbalances in the ecosystem. The race for fish also leads to high rates of bycatch of nontarget fish species and vulnerable marine mammals, turtles, and seabirds alike and wasted discards.

Though a growing number of regional organizations are charged with managing specific fish stocks, the future of the world's fishery resources is uncertain. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, all nations joined in the call for new international agreements and mechanisms to achieve sustainable marine fisheries. The U.S., as one of the world's leading fishing nations, plays a key role in expanding international cooperation to manage and conserve global fishery resources. For example, the U.S. has successfully used trade measures or the threat of trade measures to convince exporting nations to end wasteful and destructive fishing methods. Focused effort can be especially effective because only ten countries, including the U.S., account for 70% of total global production.

Ongoing Concerns

• The two key tools for international fisheries management the 995 UN Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks Agreement ( Straddling Stocks Agreement) and the FAO Agreement on High-Seas Fishing Vessel Compliance (FAO Compliance Agreement) have yet to enter into force. Also, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (Code) is not yet widely implemented by fishing nations.
• Nations continue to subsidize their fishing industries, leading to over-capitalization of fishing fleets and increasing pressure to maximize harvest.
• Conservation and management schemes are undermined by illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. A number of nations also offer flag of convenience registry to fishing vessels with no accompanying oversight of their fishing practices.
• Conservation and management schemes have not always been successful in averting overfishing or allowing for the rebuilding of depleted stocks.
• Parties to international agreements and regional fishery management organizations often exceed agreed-upon quotas or are out of compliance with those organizations conservation and management regimes.

Recommendations

• Promote ratification by signatory nations of the Straddling Stocks Agreement and the FAO Compliance Agreement, and implementation of the FAO Code at all appropriate bilateral meetings.
• Develop proposals to implement key provisions of the above agreements, such as a precautionary approach and transparency (openness in the decision-making process), through regional fishery organizations and arrangements.
• Increase bilateral pressure to foster agreements to rebuild overfished species and to deter illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. Participate actively in FAO initiatives to develop an international plan of action to address such fishing practices.
• Take a leading role in implementing the new FAO action plan on fishing fleet overcapacity.
• Strongly encourage the members of the World Trade Organization to eliminate subsidies that lead to overcapacity as part of the new round of negotiations set to begin in November 1999.
• Support and develop means (including trade-based means) bilaterally and through regional fisheries organizations, to ensure compliance with fishery management initiatives. Identify and negotiate new regional, multilateral agreements to eliminate destructive fishing practices.
• Work with other countries to evaluate vulnerable marine species, and take an active role in international decision-making on listing new marine species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.

For more information

http://www.nmfs.gov
http://www.state.gov/www/global/oes
http://www.uscg.mil/
http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/fishery/