Book Description

This document provides information on the fisheries and state of stocks of a number of highly migratory species and straddling stocks. The section on highly migratory species covers the species listed in the relevant annex to the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, such as tunas, billfish, marlins, oceanic sharks, marine turtles, pomfrets, dolphinfish and sauries, and also other species of actual or potential importance to high seas fisheries with migratory behaviour not listed in that annex (such as tuna-like species, squids, oceanic horse mackerel, etc.), of which very little is known. It does not cover marine mammals and salmon. It concludes that many of these resources have been severely reduced or depleted, illustrating the non-sustainable nature of today's exploitation of the high seas. The paper also reviews the major straddling stocks, region by region, identifying the species involved, the fisheries and, whenever possible, the status of the stocks and the management problems. It shows that there are more straddling stocks than those which have attracted international attention. It underlines the importance of pelagic straddling stocks particularly around island countries, and highlights some of the management problems.