MANAGEMENT O F FISHERY RESOURCES
45
whaling Olympics ”, in an effort to maximize their share of the total
quota set by the Commission, the countries started negotiations in 1958
with a view to agreeing on national quotas. An instrument was signed
in 1962 for a four-year period. The overall limits are fixed by the
International Whaling Commission, but the arrangements on the
distribution of the total catch are made by the countries concerned.
The general problem of allocation of the yield from the resources of
the sea was considered to some extent by the 1955 International
Technical Conference on the Conservation of the Living Resources of
the Sea and to a greater degree by the 1958 United Nations Conference
on the Law of the Sea. Discussions at the 1958 Conference centred on
the principle of abstention and on the concept of a preferential share for
coastal states. No specific provision pertaining to the apportionment
of the yield from the resources was included in the Convention on
Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas.
The Conference adopted, however, a Resolution on the special situation
of countries or territories whose people are overwhelmingly dependent
upon coastal fisheries for their livelihood or economic development.
The membership, area and scope of responsibility and main measures
in use of the various Commissions have been set out in P.A.O. Reports
(P.A.O., 1966b). Most of these Commissions issue extensive reports
which outline not only the progress made in introducing various
regulations, but also the results of the scientific research on which the
regulations are based.
C <
V. PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE PROGRESS
A. Achievements of present bodies
Any discussion of the prospects for future progress in fishery
management must start with a consideration of what progress has been
achieved so far. Earlier sections have described the methods of regulation, and the powers and objectives of the Commissions that have been
set up. I n these sections it appeared that regulation of the size of
animals caught, though in the long run less important than control of
the amount of fishing, presented fewer problems. This has been borne
out by the experience of most of the international commissions. I n the
fisheries for which many commissions are responsible little regulation of
the size of fish caught is possible. For instance, the Pacific Halibut
Commission limits fishing gears to long-lines, which catch the bigger
fish, but further adjustment of the sizes caught is impracticable though
fishing on the “nursery” grounds is discouraged by minimum size
limits of 5 lb. Where adjustment of size is possible, it has gen&ally
received considerable attention from the commission concerned. Thus,
45
whaling Olympics ”, in an effort to maximize their share of the total
quota set by the Commission, the countries started negotiations in 1958
with a view to agreeing on national quotas. An instrument was signed
in 1962 for a four-year period. The overall limits are fixed by the
International Whaling Commission, but the arrangements on the
distribution of the total catch are made by the countries concerned.
The general problem of allocation of the yield from the resources of
the sea was considered to some extent by the 1955 International
Technical Conference on the Conservation of the Living Resources of
the Sea and to a greater degree by the 1958 United Nations Conference
on the Law of the Sea. Discussions at the 1958 Conference centred on
the principle of abstention and on the concept of a preferential share for
coastal states. No specific provision pertaining to the apportionment
of the yield from the resources was included in the Convention on
Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas.
The Conference adopted, however, a Resolution on the special situation
of countries or territories whose people are overwhelmingly dependent
upon coastal fisheries for their livelihood or economic development.
The membership, area and scope of responsibility and main measures
in use of the various Commissions have been set out in P.A.O. Reports
(P.A.O., 1966b). Most of these Commissions issue extensive reports
which outline not only the progress made in introducing various
regulations, but also the results of the scientific research on which the
regulations are based.
C <
V. PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE PROGRESS
A. Achievements of present bodies
Any discussion of the prospects for future progress in fishery
management must start with a consideration of what progress has been
achieved so far. Earlier sections have described the methods of regulation, and the powers and objectives of the Commissions that have been
set up. I n these sections it appeared that regulation of the size of
animals caught, though in the long run less important than control of
the amount of fishing, presented fewer problems. This has been borne
out by the experience of most of the international commissions. I n the
fisheries for which many commissions are responsible little regulation of
the size of fish caught is possible. For instance, the Pacific Halibut
Commission limits fishing gears to long-lines, which catch the bigger
fish, but further adjustment of the sizes caught is impracticable though
fishing on the “nursery” grounds is discouraged by minimum size
limits of 5 lb. Where adjustment of size is possible, it has gen&ally
received considerable attention from the commission concerned. Thus,