The Legal Substance and Status of Fishing Entities in International Law: A Note

A number of international fisheries instruments, starting with the U.N. Fish Stocks Agreement of 1995, have made provisions for the participation of fishing entities in the conservation and sustainable use of the world's fisheries resources. These instruments have created rights and obligations for fishing entities which are, in many respects, almost identical to those accorded to states. Although this development does not necessarily imply that fishing entities are states, the conclusion is inescapable that such entities are new subjects of international law in so far as international fisheries management is concerned.

Keywords:

• fishing entities
• international fisheries law
• international legal personality

Research assistance provided by Marl Auld is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

1. For text of the U.N. Fish Stocks Agreement, see http://www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm.

2. Reparations for Injuries Suffered in the Service of the United Nations (Advisory Opinion) [1949] I.C.J. Rep. 174, at p. 179.

3. D.W. Bowett, Law of International Institutions (5th ed.) P. Sands, and P. Klein, (eds), London, Sweet & Maxwell, 2001, at p. 473.

4. D.P. O’Connell, International Law (2nd ed.) Volume 1, London: Stevens and Sons, 1970, at p. 98.

5. The Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States 1933 (http://www.molossia.org/montevideo.html), adopted by the 7th International Conference of American States, sets out in its first article the customary international law requirements of statehood at that time. It reads:

• The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: a) a permanent population; b) a defined territory; c) government; and d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.

6. O’Connell, supra note 4, at p. 81.

7. Ibid., at pp. 81–82.

8. J. Klabbers, An Introduction to International Institutional Law, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2002, at pp. 55–56.

9. Article XVI (1), Constitution of the FAO. For text, see http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5584e/x5584e0i.htm.

10. CCSBT Convention, for text, see http://www.csbt.org.

11. For text see: http://www.iotc.org.

12. Article XV(1), IOTC Convention, supra note 11.

13. Article 1, Status and Immunities of the League of Nations, 18 September, 1926. For text, see http://untreaty.un.org.

14. Reparations Case, supra note 2, at p. 174.

15. Ibid., at p. 179.

16. Article 2, U.N. Fish Stocks Agreement, supra note 1.

17. Ibid., Article 9.

18. Ibid., Article 10(b).

19. Ibid., Article 5.

20. Ibid., Article 8.

21. Ibid., Article 18–22.

22. Ibid., Article 23.

23. For text see http://www.wcpfc.org/, or http://www.intfish.net/treaties/westpac.htm.

24. Article 2, WCPF Convention, supra note 23.

25. Ibid., Annex I(2).

26. Ibid., Annex I(2).

27. Ibid., Annex 1(2).

28. Ibid., Article 18(2).

29. Ibid., Articles 26(1) and (3).

30. Ibid., Article 27(2).

31. Ibid., Article 27(3).

32. For text see: http://www.iattc.org/IATTCConventionENG.htm.

33. For text see: http://www.iattc.org/IATTCdocumentationENG.htm.

34. Article 1(7), Antigua Convention, supra note 33, provides that:

• “Members of the Commission” means the Parties and any fishing entity which has expressed in accordance with the provisions of Article XXVIII of this Convention its formal commitment to abide by the terms of this Convention and comply with any conservation and management measures adopted pursuant thereto.

35. See supra note 10.

36. Article 2, Resolution to Establish the Status of cooperating Non-Member of the Extended Scientific Committee (adopted at the Tenth Annual Meeting (7–10 October 2003)). For text see: http://www.ccsbt.org/docs/pdf/about_the_commission/Resolution_To_Establish_CooperatingNonMember_Status.pdf.

37. See in this issue: Peter S.C. Ho, “The Impacts of the U.N. Fish Stocks Agreement on Taiwan's Participation in International Fisheries Fora.”

38. ICCAT Convention, for text see http://www.iccat.es.

39. Article 1, Recommendation 03-12 by ICCAT Concerning the Duties of Contracting Parties and cooperating Non-Contracting Parties, Entities or Fishing Entities in Relation to their Vessels Fishing in the ICCAT Convention Area (2003). For text see: http://www.iccat.es/.

40. See supra note 32.

41. Article 1, IATTC Resolution C-04-02: Resolution on Criteria for Attaining the Status of cooperating Non-Party or Fishing Entity in IATTC (June 2004). For text see: http://www.iattc.org/HomeENG.htm.

42. For text see: http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/005/v9878e/v9878e00.htm.

43. For text see: http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/003/y1224e/y1224e00.HTM.

44. Article 1.2. Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, supra note 42.

45. Ibid., Article 4.1.

46. Article 5, International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, supra note 43.