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/68/71 Welcoming in this regard the review by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations of the implementation of the International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, and its ongoing work in this regard, Noting with concern that basic data on shark stocks and harvests continue to be lacking and that not all regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements have adopted conservation and management measures for directed shark fisheries and for the regulation of by-catch of sharks from other fisheries, Welcoming science-based measures taken by States to conserve and sustainably manage sharks, and noting in this respect management measures taken by coastal States, including limits on catch or fishing effort, technical measures, including by-catch reduction measures, sanctuaries, closed seasons and areas and monitoring, control and surveillance, Noting the addition of five shark species and two species of manta ray to appendix II to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 8 by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora at its sixteenth meeting, held in Bangkok from 3 to 14 March 2013, Recognizing the importance of marine species occupying low trophic levels in the ecosystem and for food security, and the need to ensure their long-term sustainability, Expressing concern over continued incidental mortality, in fishing operations, of seabirds, particularly albatrosses and petrels, as well as other marine species, including sharks, fin-fish species, marine mammals and marine turtles, while recognizing considerable efforts by States and through various regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements to reduce incidental mortality as a result of by-catch, 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 crucial 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”; _______________ 8 6/31 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 993, No. 14537.