Global treaty on fisheries signed by 31 countries.

The first global treaty to regulate high seas fishing was opened for signature at a special ceremony held at Headquarters on 4 December 1995, concluding the work of the UN Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. The treaty, officially known as the "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", had been adopted by the Conference on 4 August after nearly three years of negotiations.

The Agreement, signed by 25 States on the date it was opened for signature, attempts to implement effectively the obligation already embodied in the Convention on the Law of the Sea for States to conserve and sustainably manage high seas fisheries. To that end, parties to the Agreement are under an obligation to adopt measures to safeguard the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and to ensure that such measures are based on the best scientific evidence available and are designed to maintain or restore stocks at levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield.

Coastal States and States fishing on the high seas are obligated to pursue cooperation either directly or through regional organizations to ensure the effective conservation and management of fish stocks. Further, the Agreement imposes obligations on States whose flag fishing vessels fly, to ensure that measures agreed to are enforced. It also obliges port States where such vessels call to promote the effectiveness of such measures.

The treaty includes ground-breaking provisions to ensure compatibility between conservation and management measures adopted in zones under national jurisdiction and those adopted in adjacent high seas fishing areas. It also introduces the "precautionary approach" to fisheries management both within and outside the areas of national jurisdiction, by which States are obligated to act cautiously when there is doubt about the viability of stocks.

As of 31 January 1996, the Agreement had been signed by 31 States. It will remain open for signature until 3 December 1996, and will enter into force 30 days after the deposit of the thirtieth instrument of ratification or accession.

The Fish Stocks Conference was convened by the General Assembly in accordance with the recommendation of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, which had called for an intergovernmental meeting to identify and assess existing problems relating to the conservation and management of high seas fisheries.

The Agreement, Conference Chairman Satya N. Nandan of Fiji told delegates at the 4 December ceremony, contained principles that were on the cutting edge of fisheries management and was already having an impact on regional fisheries organizations. In time, he said, the Agreement would help avert the major fisheries crisis towards which the world was headed.

UN Legal Counsel Hans Corell, speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General, said the Agreement demonstrated a commitment to the progressive development and codification of international law and to the peaceful development of all nations. He urged all States to sign and ratify it in the shortest possible time.

The General Assembly on 5 December, by resolution 50/24, welcomed the opening for signature of the Agreement and emphasized the importance of its early entry into force and effective implementation. It further called on all States that had not signed, ratified or acceded to the Agreement to do so and consider applying it provisionally.

The Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to ensure that reporting on all major fisheries-related activities and instruments was effectively coordinated and duplication of activities minimized.

By resolution 50/25 dealing with large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing, unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and fisheries by-catch and discards, the Assembly reaffirmed the need for full implementation of a global moratorium on large-scale drift-net fishing on the high seas.

The resolution also called on States to ensure that no fishing vessels entitled to fly their national flags fished in areas under the national jurisdiction of other States, unless duly authorized by the coastal State or States concerned.

In addition to the Secretary-General's report on the law of the sea (A/500/713), which contains a section on fisheries questions in general, the Assembly also considered four reports of the Secretary-General dealing with: unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and its impact on the living marine resources of the world's oceans and seas (A/50/549); the UN Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (A/50/550); fisheries by-catch and discards and their impact on the sustainable use of the world's living marine resources (A/50/552); and large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing and its impact on the living marine resources of the world's oceans and seas (A/50/553).