Conclusions

The 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea provides for the exploitation of the living resources of the high seas within a framework that will ensure their effective conservation and management. The proper implementation of these provisions requires a clear understanding of the specific rights and duties of States claiming a right to engage in high-seas fishing. This must start with the recognition that the right to fish on the high seas is subject to the obligations under the Convention in respect of conservation and management of the resource in question and, in the case of straddling stocks and highly migratory species, in respect of the rights, duties and interests of coastal States in whose exclusive economic zones these stocks are also found, as provided for in the Convention.

Related Subject(s): International Law and Justice