The UN fish stocks agreement—a new era for international cooperation to conserve tuna in the central western pacific

Abstract

The new UN Fish Stocks Agreement has profound implications for the management of tuna resources in the central western Pacific. The agreement mandates cooperation between distant water fishing nations (DWFNs) and coastal states and requires the development of a conservation regime for the tuna resources. The article argues that the island countries will be required to improve management and conservation of tuna within their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and to determine an appropriate framework for cooperation between themselves and DWFNs. The outcome of this process will depend on the level of trust between all sides engendered through the negotiation process.