United States to Chair Review of UN Fish Stocks Agreement

The United States will join other Parties and stakeholders at the United Nations in New York from May 22-26, 2006, to formally review 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, also known as the UN Fish Stocks Agreement.

The Review Conference will take place in the context of a wide range of recent developments in the field of international fisheries. The meeting presents an opportunity to address growing concerns about the status of fisheries worldwide, including overfishing, illegal fishing and the adverse effects of certain fishing practices on ocean ecosystems.

The conference is the first opportunity to formally review the Agreement since it entered into force in 2001. Meeting participants will assess the adequacy of the Agreement in conserving and managing the relevant stocks, as well as examine ways to strengthen the implementation of the Agreement’s provisions. The topics to be considered include: Conservation and Management of Stocks; Mechanisms for International Cooperation; Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance; and Developing States Parties and Non-parties.

The U.S. delegation will include officials from the Department of State, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as representatives from the U.S. fishing industry, regional fisheries councils, environmental organizations and academia.

The Agreement entered into force in 2001 and currently has 57 Parties. The United States was the third nation to ratify this vital treaty and has played a leading role in its implementation.

For more additional information, visit: http://www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm