Large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing, unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction and on the high seas, fisheries by-catch and discards, and other developments

Reaffirms the importance it attaches to sustainable management and conservation of the marine living resources of the world's oceans and seas and the obligations of States to cooperate to this end; requests all participants to work for the adoption of the outcomes of the technical consultation of FAO , held in Rome from 26-30 Oct.; urges all authorities of members of the international community that have not done so to take greater enforcement responsibility to ensure full implementation of the global moratorium on all large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing on the high seas; calls upon States that have not done so to take measures to ensure that fishing vessels entitled to fly their flags do not fish in areas under the national jurisdiction of other States unless duly authorized by the authorities of the State concerned; urges States, relevant international organizations and regional and subregional fisheries management to take action to reduce by-catches, fish discards and post-harvest losses consistent with international law and relevant international instruments; reiterates its call on organizations with development assistance programmes to make it a high priority to support the efforts of developing coastal States to improve the monitoring and control of fishing activities and the enforcement of fishing regulations; requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all members of the international community, and to invite them to provide the Secretary-General with information relevant to the implementation of the present resolution; also requests the Secretary-General to ensure that reporting on all major fisheries-related activities and instruments is effectively coordinated; further requests the Secretary General to submit to the General Assembly at its 55th session a report on further developments relating to the implementation of resolution 52/29.

Adopted without vote, 69th meeting

5 p.

Adopted at the 69th plenary meeting, 24 Nov. 1998.