Book Description

This document is the final report of the Third Intergovernmental Consultation on the Establishment of a Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from January 27-30 2004. For waters under the sovereignty of coastal States, the Consultation agreed that a regional body for the management and development of coastal fisheries, with advisory powers only, be set up under Article VI of the FAO Constitution. For the high seas, it agreed that there should be a separate instrument, outside of the FAO, with the power to take binding decisions on conservation and management measures. The Consultation recognized the right of involvement of coastal States in the high seas instrument and identified linkages between the proposed coastal State and the high seas arrangements. The Consultation also agreed on the draft text for a resolution to the FAO Council and for the statutes of a regional body for the management and development of coastal fisheries. Possible elements of a draft agreement for the high seas were briefly discussed.--Publisher's description.