Trans-boundary Fisheries Resources Management

UN Agreement on Fish Stocks

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 stocks, 1995

UN Fish Stock Agreement

Adopted on 4 August 1995 Enforced 11 December 2001 Objectives: To conserve and manage straddling fish stock and highly migratory fish stocks.

Fish Stocks
Sedentary fish stock Trans-boundary fish stock or shared fish stock Straddling fish stock Highly migratory fish stock Purely high seas stock

Transboundary/Shared Fish Stock

EEZ

EEZ of Country A

EEZ of Country B

Country B

EEZ

EEZ

Country A

Country C

EEZ

Straddling Fish Stock

200 nm EEZ HIGH SEAS

STRADDLING OUT

STRADDLING IN

Highly Migratory Fish Stock

HIGH SEAS EEZ 1 EEZ 4

EEZ 2

EEZ 5

EEZ 3 HIGH SEAS

EEZ 6

Straddling Fish Stock or Highly Migratory Fish Stock

EEZ

Country A EEZ High Seas

Country B

EEZ

Purely High Seas Fish Stock

200 nm

EEZ 1

EEZ 2 HIGH SEAS

Issues of Trans Boundary Fish Stock Management

How to identify trans-boundary fish stock? How to conduct a study on biology of the stock? How to collect fishery data and information? How to establish a management body? How to establish management measures?

EEZ

HIGH SEAS

Sedentary stocks will no movement and no mixing. Resource may be fixed (coral) or buried (clams). Each compartment may be managed separately but depletion of spawners in one compartment may affect the other.

EEZ

HIGH SEAS

Low diffusion stock, little movement and little mixing. Stock components could be managed separately with little error. Depletion of spawning stock in one compartment may affect reproduction of the other.

EEZ

HIGH SEAS

High diffusion stock, Extensive random, Movement and important mixing. Stock should be managed as one unit. Management of one of the components will directly affect the other.

Juveniles Inshore

Adults

Off-shore

Inshore-offshore on together migrations. The stock should be managed as single unit. Specific measures (mesh size limit, effort control) may be area-specific. Age-specific fisheries should be managed as sequential fisheries (artisanal fishery, commercial fishery, foreign fleets.)

How to Manage Trans-boundary Fish Stocks?

Joint research program on trans-boundary fish stock. Establish a management body (Regional Fisheries Management Organization: RFMO for straddling stocks and highly migratory stocks) Set up total allowable catch. Establish management programs by management body.