Implementation deadlines

Agreed to adopt and implement measures by
31 December 2007 in areas where RFMOs are under negotiation; and
31 December 2008 in areas covered by established RFMOs.
UNGA resolution 61/105 paragraphs 83 and 85

Para 83: "Calls upon regional fisheries management organizations or arrangements with the competence to regulate bottom fisheries to adopt and implement measures, in accordance with the precautionary approach, ecosystem approaches and international law, for their respective regulatory areas as a matter of priority, but not later than December 31, 2008."

Para 85: "Calls upon those States participating in negotiations to establish a regional fisheries management organization or arrangement competent to regulate bottom fisheries to expedite such negotiations and, by no later than December 31, 2007, to adopt and implement interim measures consistent with paragraph 83 and make these measures publicly available."

RFMOS

D NAFO - NAFO Parties, while recognizing the need to implement the UN GA resolution, failed to agree to measures to implement UN GA 61/105 at the Annual Meeting of NAFO in September 2007. NAFO must adopt measures at the 'Extraordinary meeting in May 2008 at the latest in order to effectively implement such measures by 31 December 2008.

D NEAFC has postponed negotiations on the implementation of UN GA resolution 61/105 until an 'Extraordinary' meeting in the first half of 2008. Like NAFO, NEAFC runs a serious risk of not being able to implement the measures called for in UN GA 61/105 by 31 December 2008.

D SEAFO - The Scientific Committee of SEAFO recommended measures consistent with UN GA resolution 61/105 but SEAFO failed to adopt such measures at its annual meeting in October 2007. It must adopt measures at its next meeting in order to meet the end-December 2008 deadline.

A CCAMLR adopted preliminary conservation measures at its November 2006 meeting banning the use of bottom trawling gear in the high seas areas of the Convention Area other than for scientific research and requesting the Scientific Committee to develop criteria to determine what constitutes significant harm to benthos and benthic communities.

In November 2007, CCAMLR adopted Conservation Measure 22-06 (2007) which establishes various procedures and processes to require immediate assessment, information collation and regulation of any bottom fishing activities, beginning 1 December 2008, with a review at its annual meeting in November 2008.

D GFCM met in January 2007. It must implement measures at its next meeting in early 2008.

RFMOS under negotiation

B NWP States agreed to Interim Measures in February 2007, including an immediate freeze on the expansion of high seas bottom fisheries in the region, largely reflecting the language of Paragraph 83 of UN GA 61/105. However, the NWP Interim Measures don't take full effect until 31 December 2008 instead of 31 December 2007, as required by paragraph 85 of UN GA resolution 61/105.

A SP RFMO - In May 2007 in Renaca, Chile, SP RFMO participants adopted Interim Measures setting the global standard for implementation of paragraphs 83 - 86 of UN GA resolution 61/105. These measures went into effect on 30 September 2007 and are to apply until the entry into force of the Agreement to establish the SP RFMO and the adoption of conservation and management measures under that Agreement.

The Interim Measures include: the identification of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs); closing VMEs until they can be opened following assessment and the establishment of conservation and management measures as necessary to prevent significant adverse impacts on VMEs or the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks; a move-on rule requiring vessels to cease bottom fishing activities within five nautical miles of any site where VMEs are encountered; the appointment of observers for all bottom fishing vessels and the implementation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on all vessels by 31 December 2007; the assessment of individual bottom fishing activities and, if it is assessed that such activities would have significant adverse impacts, to manage them to prevent such impacts or to refrain from authorizing them to proceed.

F SIOFA - Parties to the negotiation of SIOFA have not agreed to any Interim Measures in 2007. As of 31 December 2007, flag states whose vessels engage in high seas bottom fisheries should suspend all authorizations to bottom fish on the high seas of the Indian Ocean.

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