Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 89
RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly,
Recognizing that in relevant provisions of the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea, Official Records of the Third
United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, vol. XVII (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.84.V.3), document A/CONF.62/122.
States are called upon to take into consideration, when establishing
conservation and management measures for target fisheries, the
effects on associated or dependent species, taking into account
the best scientific evidence available,
Recalling that the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development, held at Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992,
See Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1
(Vol. I and Vol. I/Corr.1, Vol. II, Vol. III and Vol. III/Corr.1))
(United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda),
vol. I: Resolutions Adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex
II, chap. 17. and the International Conference on Responsible
Fishing, held at Canc£n, Mexico, from 6 to 8 May 1992, See
A/CONF.164/INF/2, annex 2. agreed to promote the development and
use of selective fishing gears and practices that minimized waste
in the catch of target fish species and minimized by-catch of
non-target fish and non-fish species,
Recalling also that the World Fisheries Congress, held
at Athens in 1992, discussed various aspects of the fisheries
discard issue,
Noting the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations on fisheries by-catch and discards in the
development of an international code of conduct for responsible
fishing and the fact that the United Nations Conference on Straddling
Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks is considering provisions
on fisheries by-catch and discards,
Recognizing the efforts that international organizations
and members of the international community have made to reduce
by-catch and discards in fishing operations and the need for continued
international cooperation in this field,
Recognizing also that improvements in monitoring and assessing
by-catch and discards and in by-catch reduction techniques continue
to be necessary,
1. Notes the important role that fisheries play in contributing
to a sustainable food supply and livelihood of present and future
generations;
2. Believes that the issue of by-catch and discards in
fishing operations warrants serious attention by the international
community;
3. Also believes that a continued and effective response
to the issue of addressing fisheries by-catch and discards is
necessary so as to ensure the long-term and sustainable development
of fisheries, taking into account the relevant principles contained
in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; Report
of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,
Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1 (Vol. I and
Vol. I/Corr.1, Vol. II, Vol. III and Vol. III/Corr.1)) (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol.
I: Resolutions Adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex
I.
4. Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations to formulate fisheries by-catch and discard provisions
in its international code of conduct for responsible fishing,
taking into account work being done elsewhere;
5. Invites the United Nations Conference on Straddling
Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks to elaborate fisheries
by-catch and discard provisions, taking into account work being
done elsewhere;
6. Invites relevant subregional and regional fisheries
management organizations and arrangements and the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations to review, within their respective
competences, the impact of fisheries by-catch and discards on
the sustainable use of living marine resources, taking into account,
as appropriate, the relevant deliberations of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations with respect to the international
code of conduct for responsible fishing and the relevant deliberations
of the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and
Highly Migratory Fish Stocks;
7. Decides to consider this question at its fiftieth session,
under the item entitled "Environment and sustainable development".
92nd plenary meeting
19 December 1994