Problems concerning Law Enforcement of the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations for the Straddling Stocks and the Highly Migratory Species
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Abstract
Regional Fisheries Management Organizations or Arrangements (RFMO/As) are main legal mechanism used to control the fisheries of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory species but the management of RFMO/As to achieve the objectives of Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (UNFSA) has been found to be related to law enforcement problems due to certain factors.
The research finding has found that UNFSA is based on the principle of cooperation among relevant states which it is flexible and can be adjusted to the state’s cooperation in each region. This legal approach has advantages in setting conservation and management measures suitable for specific areas and species, at the same time it meets challenges from the different levels of state’s cooperation among the RFMO/As.
In addition, the conditions to fish straddling stocks and highly migratory species according to UNFSA has an effect on the members and the non-member cooperating states of RFMO/As despite of not being parties to UNFSA. This is because the provisions of UNFSA regarding the right to fish have already been applied by RFMO/As.
With this regard, flag state is a key success actor for the implementation of conservation and management measures set by RFMO/As. Under UNFSA and other laws aiming at eliminating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, flag state bears most legal burdens in conserving and managing fish stocks at the regional level through the concepts of flag state responsibilities and state’s cooperation. The developing countries as flag states bears a lot of burdens to meet such requirements.
Relating to the law enforcement measures, it has been found that RFMO/As have increasingly applied the boarding and inspecting measures by non-flag states stipulated in UNFSA. However, such boarding and inspection measures under UNFSA have not been similarly applied in all areas of high sea. Trend of applying the boarding and inspecting measures by non-flag state under UNFSA at the regional level at least stimulates the compliance and enforcement of RFMO/As conservation and management measures.
Besides, the cooperation from members and cooperating non-member of RFMO/As including the cooperation among RFMO/As in establishing legal mechanism at regional and sub-regional level in order to monitor fisheries in different parts of the ocean are crucial factors in preventing, deterring and eliminating the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in order not to be able to escape from the inspection.
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