Managing high seas fisheries
Best practice for managing high seas fisheries
15 August 2007
New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton today welcomed a new report that sets out clear guidelines for managing the world’s high seas fisheries.
The report outlines current best practices the world’s Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) can use to tackle the core challenges of international fisheries management.
“Improving performance of the world’s RFMOs is important,” Jim Anderton said. “It is apparent that many RFMOs have fallen well short of their objectives to prevent depletion of fish stocks and destruction of marine ecosystems in high seas areas.
“The High Seas Task Force – of which New Zealand was a member – recognised that the world’s RFMOs needed to pick up their game if we are to have sustainable management of high seas fisheries. The publication of this report is a step towards achieving this, and New Zealand will now work to progress best practice recommendations within each of the RFMOs to which New Zealand is a member,” Jim Anderton said.
The model RFMO report, entitled Recommended Best Practices for Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, was commissioned by the governments of New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, in partnership with WWF International.
The report covers issues to do with excess capacity in the world’s fishing fleets; allocating fishing opportunities on an equitable and sustainable basis; and managing the wider ecosystem effects of fishing.
It was developed by an independent panel hosted by Chatham House in London. It was managed by a director from the Round Table on Sustainable Development at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The panel comprised experts from relevant disciplines of law, economics, science and policy.
The report is available through the Ministry of Fisheries’ website (www.fish.govt.nz) or through Chatham House Publishing (www.chathamhouse.org.uk).