High seas MPAs would aid the recovery of depleted and overfished fish stocks thereby creating employment and ensuring food security for coastal communities.

The United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement is of paramount importance, as it strengthens considerably the framework for the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks by regional fisheries management organizations.

25. 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 (the 1995 Fish Stocks Agreement) was adopted on 4 August 1995 by the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.

The Review Conference of the 1995 United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement will be held next year to evaluate the effectiveness of the Agreement in the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks.

C. Agreement for the implementation of the provisions of UNCLOS relating to the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks

C. Agreement for the implementation of the provisions of UNCLOS relating to the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks

The 1995 Fish Stocks Agreement is an essential contribution to the law of the sea as regards the management of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks.

The straddling fish stocks Agreement also makes that mechanism applicable to disputes concerning subregional, regional or global fisheries agreements relating to straddling or highly migratory fish stocks.

28. Also requests the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to revise its global fisheries statistics database to provide information on straddling fish stocks, highly migratory fish stocks and discrete high seas fish stocks on the basis of where the catch is taken

New Zealand is a strong supporter of the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and urges wide participation in next year's review conference to assess the effectiveness of the Agreement in securing the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks.

4. Takes note with concern that many commercially important straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks have been subject to heavy and little regulated fishing efforts and that some stocks continue to be overfished

5. Takes note with concern that many commercially important straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks have been subject to heavy and little regulated fishing efforts and that some stocks continue to be overfished

It was generally agreed that 75 per cent of those stocks were either depleted or fully exploited.

32. Also reaffirms its request that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations revise its global fisheries statistics database to provide information on straddling fish stocks, highly migratory fish stocks and discrete high seas fish stocks on the basis of where the catch is taken

We welcome the review of the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement.

Noting the obligation of all States, pursuant to the provisions of the Convention, to cooperate in the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks,

Deploring the fact that fish stocks, including straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, in many parts of the world are overfished or subject to sparsely regulated and heavy fishing efforts, mainly as a result of, inter alia, unauthorized fishing, inadequate regulatory measures and excess fishing capacity,

Negotiations for a global agreement on straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks began in 1993, pursuant to a special conference set up by the General Assembly after UNCED.

Such legislation would enable it to ratify the 1995 Fish Stocks Agreement.

Noting the importance of the wide application of the precautionary approach to the conservation, management and exploitation of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, in accordance with the Agreement,

Deploring the fact that fish stocks, including straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, in many parts of the world are overfished or subject to sparsely regulated and heavy fishing efforts, mainly as a result of, inter alia, unauthorized fishing, inadequate regulatory measures, harmful fisheries subsidies and excess fishing capacity,

1. Recognizes the significance of 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 Stocks1 as an important contribution to ensuring the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks

1. Recognizes the significance of the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions 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 Stocks1 as an important contribution to ensuring the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks

Noting also the importance of implementing the principles elaborated in article 5 of the Agreement, including ecosystem considerations, in the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks,

Noting also the importance of implementing the principles elaborated in article 5 of the Agreement, including ecosystem considerations, in the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks,

4. Urges all States to apply the precautionary approach widely to the conservation, management and exploitation of fish stocks, including straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, and calls upon States parties to the Agreement to implement fully the provisions of article 6 of the Agreement as a matter of priority

Recognizing that inadequate flag State control over fishing vessels, including those fishing for straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, and insufficient monitoring, control and surveillance measures exacerbate the problem of overfishing,

Recognizing the importance of the Agreement for the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks and the need for the regular consideration and review of developments relating thereto,

Iraq asserts that Saudi Arabia has failed to demonstrate that the oil spills adversely affected fish and shrimp catches or fish stocks.

Participants noted with concern that the current situation of world fish stocks was alarming.

Recognizing the importance of the Agreement for the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks and the need for the regular consideration by the General Assembly of developments relating thereto,

4. Urges all States to apply the precautionary approach and the ecosystem approach widely to the conservation, management and exploitation of fish stocks, including straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, and also calls upon States parties to the Agreement to implement fully the provisions of article 6 of the Agreement as a matter of priority

FDC representatives addressed the first session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in 1993, as well as the first session in 1994 of the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.

Recalling its resolutions 47 192 of 22 December 1992, concerning the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and 50 24 of 5 December 1995, concerning 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,A CONF.164 37 see also A 50 550, annex I.

There have been no new declarations or statements regarding the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement.

Recognizing that the problem of overfishing continues to be exacerbated by inadequate flag State control over fishing vessels, including those fishing for straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, and insufficient monitoring, control and surveillance measures,

Nigeria considers the forthcoming May 2006 review conference of the Fish Stocks Agreement to be of great importance for our efforts to manage fishery stocks.

Deploring the fact that fish stocks, including straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, in many parts of the world are overfished or subject to sparsely regulated and heavy fishing efforts, as a result of, inter alia, unauthorized fishing, inadequate flag State control and enforcement, including monitoring, control and surveillance measures, inadequate regulatory measures, harmful fisheries subsidies and overcapacity,

Deploring the fact that fish stocks, including straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, in many parts of the world are overfished or subject to sparsely regulated and heavy fishing efforts, as a result of, inter alia, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, inadequate flag State control and enforcement, including monitoring, control and surveillance measures, inadequate regulatory measures, harmful fisheries subsidies and overcapacity,

Deploring the fact that fish stocks, including straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, in many parts of the world are overfished or subject to sparsely regulated and heavy fishing efforts, as a result of, inter alia, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, inadequate flag State control and enforcement, including monitoring, control and surveillance measures, inadequate regulatory measures, harmful fisheries subsidies and overcapacity,

Deploring the fact that fish stocks, including straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, in many parts of the world are overfished or subject to sparsely regulated and heavy fishing efforts, as a result of, inter alia, unauthorized fishing, inadequate flag State control and enforcement, including monitoring, control and surveillance measures, inadequate regulatory measures, harmful fisheries subsidies and overcapacity,

(b) 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

(b) 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

(b) 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

(b) 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