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The South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO) is an organization that maintains controls over fishing and fishing related acts in the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean.
Predating the Independence of Namibia in 1990, the International Commission for South East Atlantic Fisheries (ICSEAF) was responsible for the management of the fisheries in the region both in the exclusive economic zones of Angola, Namibia and South Africa and in the adjacent water of the high seas. ICSEAF Convention came into force in 1971, with the Secretariat located in Madrid, Spain and was established mainly in response to increased levels of exploitation of newly discovered rich fishing grounds off the Namibian coast by the fleet of Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs). ICSEAF failed its mandate largely because Contracting Parties did not comply with the conservation and management measures they adopted and that the Commission lacked effective compliance and enforcement mechanisms. Fishing efforts increased rapidly during the 1960s and throughout the 1970s and 1980s on targeted species such as hake, horse mackerel and pilchards off Namibia and horse mackerels ( Trachurus capensis and T. trecae ) and sardinellas (Sardinella aurita and S. maderensis ) in southern Angolan waters. For example, in 1965 about 193,000 tonnes of hake were caught mainly off Namibia and by 1972, a peak of 820,000 tonnes was recorded, followed by a declining trend to about 338,000 tonnes landed by 1988. At Independence in 1990, the new government of Namibia proclaimed through the Act of Parliament a 200-nautical-mile (370 km) EEZ and the jurisdiction over the fisheries within the zone. The organisation became inoperative following Namibia's refusal to join it. Meanwhile, the high seas fisheries of the southeast Atlantic were left without a managing body. With new mandate and direction, SEAFO replaced ICSEAF.
SEAFO is an intergovernmental regional fisheries management organisation responsible for ensuring the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fishery resources (excluding migratory fish stocks) in the high seas of southeast Atlantic Ocean, within the Convention Area. The SEAFO Convention Area is situated in the southeast Atlantic region, outside the exclusive economic zones of the coastal states of Angola, Namibia, South Africa and United Kingdom’s overseas territory of St. Helena and its dependencies Tristan da Cunha and Ascension Island. It covers an area of about 16 million square kilometres. The idea to establish SEAFO came from Namibia in 1995 because of the concern that certain commercially valuable straddling fish stocks required better protection to avoid compromising their potential in Namibian waters as a result of unsustainable fishing practices on the adjacent high seas. The idea was welcomed and greatly supported by the coastal neighbours of Angola, South Africa and United Kingdom (on behalf of St. Helena and its dependencies Tristan da Cunha and Ascension Islands) and by DWFN's of EU, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and United States – all of which have history of fishing or demonstrated real interest in the fisheries in the area.
Complex negotiations between the coastal States and the DWFN started in 1997 and were completed in 2000 with the adoption of SEAFO Convention. SEAFO Convention is largely based on 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1995 United Nations Fish Stock Agreement (UNFSA) and is internationally hailed as the most contemporary, responsive instrument for conservation and sustainable utilisation of living marine resources in high seas. The Convention was signed on 20 April 2001 in Windhoek by Angola, the European Community, Iceland, Namibia, Norway, Republic of Korea, South Africa, United Kingdom (on behalf of St. Helena and its dependencies Tristan da Cunha and Ascension Islands) and the United States of America. It entered into force on 13 April 2003 after the deposit of instruments of ratification by Namibia and Norway and approval by the European Community. Angola deposited its instrument of ratification on 7 March 2006, making it a 4th Contracting Party of SEAFO. The role played by the developing coastal States in the drafting of SEAFO Convention was extensive.
The Commission is the highest decision-making body of the Organisation and it meets annually to among others, formulate fisheries conservation and management measures, review compliance issues and adopt the budget. Decision on matters of substance, within SEAFO is taken by consensus among the Parties. There is also a provision for non acceptance of a decision by a Contracting Party. Budgetary contributions are made up of an equal basic fee and a fee determined from the total catch of species covered by the Convention. SEAFO allows States and regional economic integration organizations to become parties to the Convention and encourages cooperation with non-Parties. Compliance with monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) is one of the criteria for consideration in determining the nature and extent of participatory rights in SEAFO fishing opportunities. SEAFO Convention foresees the creation of a robust system of observation, inspection, compliance and enforcement that includes control measures linked to flag State duties and port State duties as well as at-sea and in port inspection, boarding and inspection of vessels on a reciprocal basis, observer programs and procedures to follow up on infringements. For transparency and openness, SEAFO accords accessibility of observers to its meetings and to its documents. SEAFO Scientific Committee provides scientific advice to the Commission on the conservation and management issues such as the status of the resources and the harvesting levels. Subsidiary bodies may be established by the Commission, as needs arise, from time-to-time. The day-to-day work of the Organisation is coordinated, administered and overseen by the Secretariat, based in Swakopmund, Namibia.
SEAFO Convention provides fundamental principles that govern conservation and management of living marine resources under SEAFO's jurisdiction. Fisheries management is based on the best available scientific evidence, and where scientific information is uncertain, unreliable or inadequate, the precautionary approach principle prevails, until such time when more information is known about the resources dynamics, ecosystem structures and functions. The general principles encompass the concept of ecosystem approach to fisheries management. In particular conservation and protection of species that belong to the same ecosystem as, or are associated with or dependent upon the harvested fishery resources (e.g., seabirds, cetaceans, seals and marine turtle)s are given emphasis. In addition the general principles call for the minimization of harmful impacts on all living marine resources and protection of marine environment and its biodiversity.
Living marine resources covered by SEAFO including fish (such as orange roughy Hoplostethus atlanticus, alfonsino Beryx splendens , Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides , hake Merluccius paradoxus , horse mackerel Trachurus capensis , chub mackerel Scomber japonicus , cardinalfishes Epigonus species, oreo dories and armourhead Pseudopentaceros species, some shark species and rays), molluscs (such as octopus and squid) and crustaceans (such as deep sea red crab Chaceon maritae ). Some of the most notable commercially important species are orange roughy, alfonsino – harvested by bottom trawling, and deep sea red crab – capture by pots or traps and Patagonian toothfish caught by longlining. Highly migratory fish stocks such as tuna, swordfish, marlin and sharks in the region are covered by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Most of SEAFO fish resources are found in deep waters (greater than 500 m depth) and tend to be slow grower, long-lived, late-matured and therefore could be vulnerable to over–exploitation. Their biological and ecological dynamics are not well known and there are no good historic time series.
SEAFO has adopted innovative ways to manage deep sea fisheries, taking into account the EAF management, the precautionary approach principles as well as the reliance on the best scientific available evidence. Since 2005 and 2007, the following conservation and management measures were adopted:
For monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) of fishing activities, SEAFO has adopted comprehensive and stringent measures including the following:
SEAFO recognizes the need to cooperate with coastal States and all other States and Organisations having a real interest in the fishery resources of the South East Atlantic Ocean. At regional level, SEAFO and Angola, Namibia, South Africa and UK’s overseas territories in the region are working closely to ensure compatibility of conservation and management measures adopted for straddling fish stocks on the high seas and in areas of national jurisdiction. SEAFO has strong link with the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Programme (BCLME) and the Benguela Current Commission (BCC) and shares information on the fisheries and the environment.
At international level, SEAFO has working relationships with various regional fisheries management organisations, notably North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), Commission for the Conservation of the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NAFO) and the International Commission for the Conservation of the Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Cooperation with these organisations is centred on the exchange of experiences on all matters of mutual interests, including on sharing of data on by-catch species and information on compliance matters such as on IUU fishing activities. SEAFO is working closely with the United Nations in particular with FAO and with the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) aiming at strengthening high seas fisheries governance.
Additional information can be obtained from the SEAFO Secretariat at info@seafo.org and from SEAFO website .
The Antarctic toothfish is a large, black or brown fish found in very cold (subzero) waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. It is the largest fish in the Southern Ocean, feeding on shrimp and smaller fish, and preyed on by whales, orcas, and seals. It is caught for food and marketed as Chilean sea bass together with its sister species, the more northerly Patagonian toothfish. Often mistakenly called "Antarctic cod," the Antarctic toothfish belongs to the notothen family (Nototheniidae), a group of fish species abundant near Antarctica.
The Patagonian toothfish is a species of notothen found in cold waters between depths of 45 and 3,850 m in the southern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and Southern Ocean on seamounts and continental shelves around most Subantarctic islands.
The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the fisheries policy of the European Union (EU). It sets quotas for which member states are allowed to catch each type of fish, as well as encouraging the fishing industry by various market interventions. In 2004 it had a budget of €931 million, approximately 0.75% of the EU budget.
The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) is an intergovernmental organization with a mandate to provide scientific advice and management of fisheries in the northwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean. NAFO is headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), informally known as NOAA Fisheries, is a United States federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is responsible for the stewardship of U.S. national marine resources. It conserves and manages fisheries to promote sustainability and prevent lost economic potential associated with overfishing, declining species, and degraded habitats.
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is a tuna regional fishery management organisation, responsible for the management and conservation of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. The organization was established in 1966, at a conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and operates in English, French and Spanish. The organisation has been strongly criticised by scientists for its repeated failure to conserve the sustainability of the tuna fishery by consistently supporting over-fishing – an internal review branded ICCAT's policies on the eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery a "travesty of fisheries management", and an "international disgrace". Conservationists often refer to ICCAT as "The International Conspiracy to Catch All Tuna".
Unsustainable fishing methods refers to the utilization of the various fishing methods in order to capture or harvest fish at a rate which sees the declining of fish populations over time. These methods are observed to facilitate the destructive fishing practices that destroy ecosystems within the ocean, and is used as a tool for over-fishing which results in the depletion of fish populations at a rate that cannot be sustained.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries.
This page is a list of fishing topics.
As with other countries, the 200 nautical miles (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coast of the United States gives its fishing industry special fishing rights. It covers 11.4 million square kilometres, which is the second largest zone in the world, exceeding the land area of the United States.
The coastline of the Russian Federation is the fourth longest in the world after the coastlines of Canada, Greenland, and Indonesia. The Russian fishing industry has an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 7.6 million km2 including access to twelve seas in three oceans, together with the landlocked Caspian Sea and more than two million rivers.
Dissostichus, the toothfish, is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefish. These fish are found in the Southern Hemisphere. Toothfish are marketed in the United States as Chilean sea bass or less frequently as white cod. "Chilean sea bass" is a marketing name coined in 1977 by Lee Lantz, a fish wholesaler who wanted a more attractive name for selling the Patagonian toothfish to Americans. In 1994, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted "Chilean sea bass" as an "alternative market name" for Patagonian toothfish. The toothfish was remarkably successful in the United States, Europe and Asia, and earned the nickname "white gold" within the market. Toothfish are vital to the ecological structure of Southern Ocean ecosystems. For this reason, on 4 September a national day is dedicated to the toothfish in South Georgia.
International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) was formed in 2009 as a global, non-profit partnership among the tuna industry, scientists and World Wide Fund for Nature. The multistakeholder group states its mission is "to undertake science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health". Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) are primarily responsible for managing the world's tuna stocks—skipjack, yellowfin and albacore tuna, the species most commonly processed for canned and shelf-stable tuna products, but their parliamentary procedures too often allow the short-term economic and political interests of nations to prevent sustainable measures from being adopted. ISSF works to ensure that effective international management practices are in place to maintain the health of all the tuna stocks.
Dr. Moritaka Hayashi is an international lawyer, scholar and author, who is widely considered a leading expert on the impact of human activity on the world's oceans. Over a period of nearly 40 years, he has published extensively on issues involving the law of the sea, including overfishing, maritime shipping and maritime security. In 2008, he served on an international commission that generated controversy by calling for the immediate suspension of bluefin tuna fishing in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. He has also served as an official at the United Nations and as a diplomat for the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations.
The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) is an international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of anadromous fish stocks in international waters of the North Pacific Ocean and its adjacent seas. It was established on 11 February 1992 by the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean and originally consisted of four member nations: Canada, Japan, Russian Federation, and United States of America. On 27 May 2003, the Republic of Korea acceded to the Convention bringing the current number of Commission members to five. The primary objective of the Commission is to provide a mechanism for international cooperation promoting the conservation of anadromous stocks in the NPAFC Convention Area of the North Pacific Ocean.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fisheries:
The Benguela Current Commission, or BCC, is a multi-sectoral inter-governmental, initiative of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. It promotes the sustainable management and protection of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem, or BCLME. The BCC was established in January 2007 through the signing of an Interim Agreement between the governments of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Then, on 18 March 2013, the three governments signed the Benguela Current Convention, an environmental treaty that entrenches the Benguela Current Commission as a permanent inter-governmental organization.
The Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance is a government agency under the management of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia. Formally established on 23 November 2000 according to Presidential Decree No. 165/2000, the PSDKP is the agency responsible for supervising the marine and fishery resources of the Republic of Indonesia. The main mission of PSDKP is the prevention of Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Indonesian waters, which has caused a substantial loss for Indonesia's fishing industry. In its mission to prevent illegal fishing, PSDKP has conducted joint-operations with the Indonesian Navy, Water Police, Sea and Coast Guard, the Maritime Security Agency and Customs. PSDKP is however is not associated with these agencies.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) in the Arctic is an under researched scientific field. The most recent academic articles about IUU in the Arctic mainly concerns the mid 2000s.
The exclusive economic zone of Canada is the area of the sea in which Canada has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.