WWF calls for Australian Government to lead fisheries management on the high seas
06 Nov 2006
Hobart, Tasmania - The Australian Government must take the lead on regional fisheries management in the southern Pacific Ocean before stocks of more fish species are decimated.
Today, as more than 25 governments begin negotiations to create yet another regional fisheries management organisation for the high seas of the southern Pacific Ocean, WWF is calling on the Australian Government to take immediate and strong action.
Australia must help put in place stringent interim measures to safeguard marine resources in this area and ensure the negotiations result in a new breed of international convention.
It is proposed the agreement will cover non-tuna marine resources on the high seas from the Antarctic Convergence up to the Equator in the Pacific Ocean
WWF spokesperson, Lorraine Hitch said: "With the exception of tuna resources, there are now no management measures in place for high seas in the South Pacific despite large-scale, unregulated fishing occurring there for many years.
"This fishing has not only decimated a number of commercial fish stocks, such as Orange Roughy and lobster, but has also resulted in irreparable damage to sensitive sea-bed areas and impacted species with no commercial value," Ms Hitch said.
"WWF is concerned this new agreement is already rushing down the same path taken by other regional fisheries management organisations, which is characterised by overfished stocks, illegal fishing, rampant vessel over-capacity and largely unmitigated impacts on the broader marine environment.
"What is urgently needed is a new breed of fisheries agreement that learns the lessons from what has worked and what has not," Ms Hitch said.
"We have the opportunity to lead a new way of thinking about fisheries conservation and management on the high seas - one that benefits not only the fishing industry in sustainably using the commercial resources but one that isn't detrimental to the albatross, marine turtles and deepwater corals that form an integral part of the marine environment," Ms Hitch said.
WWF and TRAFFIC released the report Follow the Leader: learning from experiences and best practice in regional fisheries management organisations earlier this year which documented the different issues that have compromised the effectiveness of international fisheries management.
"Developing and implementing a new agreement will take time - moving quickly to implement strong interim measures is crucial," said Ms Hitch.
"The Australian Government could build on its recent work at the United Nations General Assembly, which along with Government of Palau, sought the prohibition on bottom trawling on the high seas until strong management arrangements are in place to ensure that the living marine species and the broader ecosystem are protected.
"This could form the basis of interim measures for the as yet unregulated southern Pacific Ocean," Ms Hitch said.
WWF is encouraging the governments attending the meeting to focus on interim management measures that are transparent and enforceable. These will provide crucial breathing space to review the implications of the proposed convention and investigate new and innovative responses to the challenges experienced in other oceans.
Find out more
Lorraine Hitch, Sustainable Fisheries Project Leader, WWF-Australia
Mobile: 0428 626 552
Dr Gilly Llewellyn, Oceans Program Leader, WWF-Australia
Phone: 0406 380 804
