Source: http://www.un.org
UN
Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (OLA- Office of Legal Affairs (Lead UN Office)) --> http://www.un.org/issues/m-los.html
-Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS)
-International Seabed Authority (ISA)
-International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)
Key UN Office - International Court of Justice
Subtopics + Offices
-Subcomittee on Oceans and coastal Areas (SOCA)
-UN Environmental Programme (UNEP)-Marine and Coastal Areas
-Food and Agriculture (FAO)
-Fisheries and Aquaculture Department --> http://www.fao.org/fi/website/FIRetrieveAction.do?dom=org&xml=fishcode_prog.xml
-FishCode Programme
-Objective: "to raise the economic, social and nutritional benefits obtained from the fisheries and aquaculture, especially in developing countries, through the adoption of
responsible development, management and conservation practices, including improved institutional and legal arrangements."
-Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries --> http://www.fao.org/fi/website/FIRetrieveAction.do?dom=org&xml=CCRF_prog.xml&xp_nav=2
-"Code sets out principles and international standards of behaviour for responsible practices with a view to ensuring the effective conservation, management and development
of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity."
-"Code recognizes the nutritional, economic, social, environmental and cultural importance of fisheries and the interests of all those concerned with the fishery sector. The
Code takes into account the biological characteristics of the resources and their environment and the interests of consumers and other users."
-International Plans of Action (IPOAs) "apply to all States and entities and to all fishers"
- IPOA-Capacity = IPOA for management of Fishing Capacity --> http://www.fao.org/fi/website/FIRetrieveAction.do?dom=org&xml=ipoa_capacity.xml
- "States should take measures to prevent or eliminate excess fishing capacity and should ensure that levels of fishing effort are commensurate with sustainable use
of fishery resources." (Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries)
-'Solutions' - Fishing capacity
-Well-defined property use rights (but this is difficult)
-Prevent fishers from catching as many fish by making fishing more costly and difficult to operate - "incentive blocking measures" such asfishing seasons, closed
areas or "incentive adjusting measures" - clearly determine who can catch fish and how many (more contentious but such measures have prevented overfishing
or reduced it)
-Action to be taken
-Assessment and monitoring of fish capacity
-Preparation and implementation of national plans
-International consideration
-Immediate actions for major international fisheries requiring urgent attention
-Governance of cross-border resources
-much dispute
-no current action in terms of governance of high seas (international waters) fisheries