About Us

Our Current Focus

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) was founded in 2004 to address the issue of bottom trawling on the high seas in the absence of an effective regime for the management of deep-sea fisheries on the high seas and in response to international concerns over the harmful impacts of deep-sea bottom trawling. Working with scientists, NGOs, intergovernmental organizations and numerous governments, the DSCC has effectively and consistently targeted the United nations General Assembly (UNGA) and other international for a to call for action.

The DSCC remains focused on achieving two overarching goals:

• To substantially reduce the greatest threats to life in the deep seas; and
• To safeguard the long-term health, integrity, and resilience of deep-sea ecosystems.

Our objective also remains unchanged: Securing permanent protection for vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems and species from deep-sea fishing on the high seas. Toward these ends, the DSCC work in 2011-2012 will consist of the following:

• UN General Assembly: DSCC will:
  1. Provide an independent global assessment of progress;
  2. Work with key governments to ensure a rigorous UN review and the necessary outcomes
  3. Call for a halt to deep-sea fishing on the high seas until the required conservation measures are in effect and implemented;
  4. Propose further steps as necessary, to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) and deep sea species;
  5. Raise public awareness and support for protecting high seas biodiversity;
  6. Work with scientists to bring robust and best available scientific information into the UNGA negotiations;
  7. Improve UN oversight of the commitments by countries to protect biodiversity on the high seas from the harmful impacts of deep-sea fisheries - and in so doing set an important precedent for future UN oversight of other high seas activities.
• Regional and national implementation of UNGA bottom fishing resolutions: Since 2006 DSCC member organizations have been actively engaged with RFMOs to promote the implementation of the UNGA resolutions through these regional bodies. We will continue to work on a regional level through regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) and other relevant bodies and processes to promote the adoption of legally binding regulations to implement the UNGA resolutions for deep-sea fisheries on the high seas.
• Compliance with the UNGA resolutions and regional regulations: We will explore options for enhancing State compliance with the UNGA resolutions through the listing of endangered deep-sea species under the annexes of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); reducing and eliminating subsidies for deep sea fishing on the high seas; designating deep water fishing on the high seas as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing if not in compliance with the UNGA resolutions; and encouraging market restrictions and trade sanctions against vessels and nations for non-compliance.