A/RES/69/109
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
States and, as appropriate, subsistence fishing communities, to reduce or eliminate bycatch, catch by lost or abandoned gear, fish discards and post-harvest losses, including
juvenile fish, consistent with international law and relevant international instruments,
including the Code, and in particular to consider measures including, as appropriate,
technical measures related to fish size, mesh size or gear, discards, closed seasons and
areas and zones reserved for selected fisheries, particularly artisanal fisheries, the
establishment of mechanisms for communicating information on areas of high
concentration of juvenile fish, taking into account the importance of ensuring the
confidentiality of such information, and support for studies and research that will
reduce or eliminate by-catch of juvenile fish, and to ensure that these measures are
implemented so as to optimize their effectiveness;
109. Welcomes the commitment of States in “The future we want” to enhance
action to manage by-catch, discards and other adverse ecosystem impacts from
fisheries, including by eliminating destructive fishing practices, 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;
110. Calls upon States, either individually, collectively or through regional
fisheries management organizations and arrangements, to further study, develop and
adopt effective management measures, taking into account the best available
scientific information on fishing methods, including fish aggregating devices, to
minimize by-catch;
111. Also calls upon States, either individually, collectively or through
regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements, to collect the
necessary data in order to evaluate and closely monitor the use of large-scale fish
aggregating devices and other devices, as appropriate, and their effects on tuna
resources and tuna behaviour and associated and dependent species, to improve
management procedures to monitor the number, type and use of such devices and to
mitigate possible negative effects on the ecosystem, including on juveniles and the
incidental by-catch of non-target species, particularly sharks and turtles, and notes
in this regard the measures adopted by different regional fisheries management
organizations and arrangements;
112. Urgently calls upon States, subregional and regional fisheries
management organizations and arrangements and, where appropriate, other relevant
international organizations to develop and implement effective management
measures to reduce the incidence of catch and discards of non-target species,
including the utilization of selective fishing gear, where appropriate, and to take
appropriate measures to minimize waste;
113. Calls upon States and subregional and regional fisheries management
organizations and arrangements to adopt or improve measures to assess the impact
of their fisheries on species caught as by-catch and to improve the
comprehensiveness and accuracy of information and reporting on incidental catch of
species caught as by-catch, including through adequate observer coverage and the
use of modern technologies, and to provide assistance to developing States to meet
data-collection and reporting obligations;
114. Requests States and regional fisheries management organizations and
arrangements, as appropriate, to strengthen or establish data-collection programmes
to obtain reliable species-specific estimates of shark, marine turtle, fin-fish, marine
mammal and seabird by-catch, and to promote further research on selective fishing
gear and practices and on the use of appropriate by-catch mitigation measures;
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