The United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) has governed worldwide “long-term conservation and sustainable use” of shared fish stocks—those that bridge the legal boundaries separating the waters of nations, mainly tunas and sharks—since 2001.
Seabed mining can affect fisheries and the flow-on social equity issues need to be addressed. What is currently hundreds of meters down below the ocean floor could soon be found in our electronics and on construction sites.
Onshore owners of global fishing vessels have benefited from the illegal activities their crews practice, yet remain largely untouched by law enforcement.
Pacific Ministers have identified dealing with the immediate impacts of COVID-19 and the longer-term threats of climate change on offshore fisheries as key areas to address, at the 18th Forum Fisheries Committee Ministerial meeting (FFCMin18), which concluded yesterday.
Under the ocean’s vast surface, marine habitats are what brings these waterbodies to life. Kelp forests are like explosively diverse rainforests but with algae for trees. Craggy cliffs draped in showy and ecologically vital corals line underwater mountains (known as seamounts) and canyons.
A milestone has been reached by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Pacific Community (SPC) following the successful completion of an agreement between the two organisations for the exchange of maritime boundaries data.