Problems of overfishing and on means of preserving fish stocks in the North Atlantic and the North Sea

Recommendation 724 (1974)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 22 January 1974 (22nd Sitting) (see Doc. 3376, report of the Committee on Agriculture). Text adopted by the Assembly on 22 January 1974 (22nd Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Having taken note of the report of the Committee on Agriculture (Doc. 3376) on over-fishing and means of preserving fish stocks in the North Atlantic and the North Sea ;

2. Recalling its Recommendation 570 (1969), on fishery policies in Europe, Resolution 504 (1971), on salmon fishing in the Atlantic, and Resolution 515 (1972), on the common fisheries policy within an enlarged Community ;

3. Observing that :

a over-fishing and the preservation of fish stocks raise a serious and pressing problem ;

b these problems arise in all fishing areas, in all seas, but that it has been thought expedient to limit this recommendation to the situation in the North Atlantic and the North Sea ;

c the commissions set up under the international conventions and agreements in this field have powers to take decisions, to make recommendations to the Contracting Parties and to promote scientific research ;

d exploitation of the sea bed and marine pollution have direct harmful effects on sea fishing, which should be made the subject of a separate report ;

4. Deploring the failure of several countries, despite their social and economic interest in deep-sea fishing, to sign the relevant conventions and agreements, and that the rules laid down are not sufficiently observed,

5. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

invite such member governments as have not already done so to sign and ratify :

a the International Convention for the North West Atlantic Fisheries (Washington, 8 February 1949) ;

b the Convention on the Preservation of the Biological Resources of the High Seas (Geneva, 29 April 1958) ;

c the North East Atlantic Fisheries Convention (London, 24 January 1959) ;

d the Fisheries Convention (London, 9 March 1964) ;

e the Convention on the Conduct of Fisheries in the North Atlantic (London, 1 June 1967) ;

invite the governments of member states to promote scientific research and to support current studies aimed at remedying the harmful effects of over-fishing ;

invite the governments of member states to regard deep-sea and in-shore fishing as a single whole for the purpose of defining the boundaries of fishing grounds and determining national quotas ;

convene under the auspices of the Council of Europe, with the participation of the Assembly, an international political conference on the problem of over-fishing and means of preserving fish stocks in the North Atlantic and the North Sea, to be attended by qualified representatives of the parties concerned.