International Agreements
 Jim Enticott
International agreements aim to combat pirate longline fishing
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In the last decade four international agreements have been concluded which may make an important contribution to the reduction of threat to albatrosses and other seabird species.
Two of these agreements relate specifically to seabirds:
The Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)
The FAO’s International Plan of Action - Seabirds
Two address all bycatch species:
The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
UN Fish Stocks Agreement
The Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)
In early 2001 negotiations concluded on an international treaty, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP).
This agreement requires signatory states to take specific measures to improve the conservation status of albatrosses and petrels. Measures include research and monitoring, reduction of incidental mortality in fisheries, eradication of non-native species at breeding sites, reduction of disturbance and habitat loss, and reduction of pollution. The Agreement is established under the auspices of the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) and is legally binding.
Six countries have now ratified the Agreement (Australia, Ecuador, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa and the UK) and the Agreement entered into force on 1 February 2004. Another five countries, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France and Peru have signed ACAP, and it is hoped that they will become party to the Agreement soon.
BirdLife attended the first Meeting of Parties, which took place between 8-12 November 2004.
The FAO’s International Plan of Action - Seabirds
The International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (IPOA-Seabirds) was developed by FAO in 1998. The FAO has encouraged all member countries to implement IPOA-Seabirds.
In implementing IPOA-Seabirds, States assess the seabird by-catch problem within their fisheries and/or within their coastal waters. If a bycatch problem exists, each State then develops and implements a National Plan of Action (NPOA), based on the recommendations listed in the IPOA.
The following States have completed, or are in the process of developing, NPOAs:
Completed NPOAs: Brazil, Falkland Islands, New Zealand, South Africa, United States
Developing NPOAs: Australia, Canada, Japan, Vietnam
The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries sets out principles for sustainable fisheries management.
Of particular relevance to the conservation of albatrosses, the Code of Conduct establishes the duties of fishery management organisations to conserve all species that are affected by fisheries, including seabirds, cetaceans, turtles and sharks. The Code also includes duties to collect data on non-target species and to minimise waste, discards, bycatch and impacts on the ecosystem.
The Code also establishes standards for participation and transparency within fisheries management, duties to use a ‘precautionary approach’ to management, and duties to combat Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing.
The Code of Conduct is a voluntary instrument. It was adopted in 1995 by the 28th Session of the FAO Conference. 126 States declared their support of the Code in The Rome Declaration on the Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (1995).
UN Fish Stocks Agreement
The United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (full title ‘The Agreement on the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks’) was also established in 1995 and came into force in November 2001. The Agreement is legally binding to signatory States.
The Agreement establishes principles for the conservation and management of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks, and establishes the duties of fishery management organisations to conserve all non-target, associated and dependent species that are affected by the fisheries, including seabirds.
The Agreement also establishes standards for participation and transparency within fisheries management, duties to use a ‘precautionary approach’ to management, and duties to combat Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing.
As of August 2004, 52 States are signatories to the Agreement.
Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence
In addition to the above agreements, for several years, a group of Conservation NGOs (under the leadership of the Wildlife Conservation Society) have been meeting to promote the sustainable use of the resources of the Patagonian Shelf and associated areas, together with improved conservation of species dependent on these resources.
As the region contains numerous globally important breeding and feeding sites for seabirds, including a range of globally threatened species, BirdLife International, particularly through its Global Seabird Programme and with the full support and participation of relevant partners in South America, has played an active role in discussion and in the assembly of data to address the key conservation issues.
At a meeting in March 2005 the various organisations involved in these initiatives combined to create a Forum. At the latest meeting (November 2005) held in Puerto Madryn, Argentina, the Forum agreed a common vision, mission, principles and constitution. It established a governance structure, appointed a Forum Coordinator and set up a system of Working Groups. It also issued the following statement.
BirdLife Partners and Members interested in learning more should contact the Forum coordinator (coordforum@gmail.com).