Sustainable fisheries, including through the 1995 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, and related instruments
A/RES/70/75
recognizing considerable efforts by States and through various regional fisheries
management organizations and arrangements to reduce incidental mortality as a
result of by-catch,
Noting with concern the significant threat that invasive alien species pose to
marine ecosystems and resources,
I
Achieving sustainable fisheries
1.
Reaffirms the importance it attaches to the long-term conservation,
management and sustainable use of the living marine resources of the world’s
oceans and seas and the obligations of States to cooperate to this end, in accordance
with international law, as reflected in the relevant provisions of the Convention, 1 in
particular the provisions on cooperation set out in Part V and Part VII, section 2, of
the Convention, and where applicable, the Agreement; 2
2.
Calls upon all States that have not done so, in order to achieve the goal
of universal participation, to become parties to the Convention, which sets out the
legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried
out, taking into account the relationship between the Convention and the
Agreement;
3.
Notes with satisfaction that in “The future we want”, 3 States addressed
the sustainable development of fisheries, recognized the significant contribution of
fisheries to the three dimensions of sustainable development and stressed the cruci al
role of healthy marine ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture
for food security and nutrition and in providing for the livelihoods of millions of
people, and encourages States to implement the commitments made in “The future
we want”;
4.
Encourages States to give due priority to the implementation of the Plan
of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation) 10 in relation to achieving sustainable fisheries, especially
restoring depleted stocks to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield on
an urgent basis and, where possible, not later than 2015, and recalls that in “The
future we want”, States committed themselves to intensify their efforts to meet that
target and to urgently take the measures necessary to maintain or restore all stocks at
least to levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield, with the aim of
achieving those goals in the shortest time feasible, as determined by their biological
characteristics, and in order to achieve this, to urgently develop and implement
science-based management plans, including by reducing or suspending fishing catch
and fishing effort commensurate with the status of the stock, consistent with
international law, the applicable international instruments and relevant General
Assembly resolutions and guidelines of the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations;
_______________
10
Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa,
26 August–4 September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and corrigendum),
chap. I, resolution 2, annex.
7/35