circumstances of respective species and maritime areas. In fact, most maritime areas
are regulated by some regional organization in the current international community.
33
3.2 RFMOs Constituted by Coastal States and Fishing States
3.2.1 RFMOs Before the Adoption of the UNCLOS
Even before the adoption of the UNCLOS, there were various RFMOs, including:
the ICRW
34 ; the Agreement for the establishment of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
35 ; the Convention for the Establishment of
an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
36 ; the International Convention for High Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean
37 ; the International
Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna
38 ; the Convention on Future
Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
39 ; the Convention for
the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering
33 The map of the regulatory areas of RFMOs is available at http://www.fao.org/fishery/rfb/en.
34 The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established by the Convention. An integral
part of the Convention is its legally binding “Schedule,” by which the measures under IWC have
been developed; see https://iwc.int/history-and-purpose.
35 The first agreement was adopted in the FAO Conference in 1949. The agreement was amended
four times and the fourth amendment in 1997 included the change in the name of the organization to
General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) previously “General Fisheries
Council for the Mediterranean. The text of the Agreement is available at http://www.fao.org/
gfcm/about/legal-framework/en/.
36 The Convention was adopted on 31 May 1949. The text is available at http://www.iattc.org/
PDFFiles/IATTC-Instruments/_English/IATTC_IATTC%20Convention%201949.pdf. The Convention for the Strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission established by
the 1949 Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica
(“Antigua Convention”) was signed on 14 November 2003 and entered into force on 27 August
2010. The text is available at http://www.iattc.org/PDFFiles/IATTC-Instruments/_English/IATTC_
Antigua_Convention%20Jun%202003.pdf.
37 International North Pacific Fisheries Commission (INPFC) was established by this Convention,
and comprised Canada, Japan, and the United States of America as members. The INPFC dissolved
when the Convention of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean came into effect on
16 February 1993; see https://npafc.org/inpfc/.
38 The Convention was adopted in May 1966. This convention established the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The text which reflects the seventh
revision is available at https://www.iccat.int/en/.
39 The Convention was signed on 24 October 1978 and entered into force on 1 January 1979.
The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) was established by this convention.
The convention was amended four times. The last amendment came into force on 18 May
2017. The amended text is available at https://www.nafo.int/Portals/0/PDFs/key-publications/
NAFOConvention-2017.pdf.
2 Implementation of the Rules of the UNCLOS Through Universal and Regional. . .
17
are regulated by some regional organization in the current international community.
33
3.2 RFMOs Constituted by Coastal States and Fishing States
3.2.1 RFMOs Before the Adoption of the UNCLOS
Even before the adoption of the UNCLOS, there were various RFMOs, including:
the ICRW
34 ; the Agreement for the establishment of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
35 ; the Convention for the Establishment of
an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
36 ; the International Convention for High Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean
37 ; the International
Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna
38 ; the Convention on Future
Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
39 ; the Convention for
the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering
33 The map of the regulatory areas of RFMOs is available at http://www.fao.org/fishery/rfb/en.
34 The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established by the Convention. An integral
part of the Convention is its legally binding “Schedule,” by which the measures under IWC have
been developed; see https://iwc.int/history-and-purpose.
35 The first agreement was adopted in the FAO Conference in 1949. The agreement was amended
four times and the fourth amendment in 1997 included the change in the name of the organization to
General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) previously “General Fisheries
Council for the Mediterranean. The text of the Agreement is available at http://www.fao.org/
gfcm/about/legal-framework/en/.
36 The Convention was adopted on 31 May 1949. The text is available at http://www.iattc.org/
PDFFiles/IATTC-Instruments/_English/IATTC_IATTC%20Convention%201949.pdf. The Convention for the Strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission established by
the 1949 Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica
(“Antigua Convention”) was signed on 14 November 2003 and entered into force on 27 August
2010. The text is available at http://www.iattc.org/PDFFiles/IATTC-Instruments/_English/IATTC_
Antigua_Convention%20Jun%202003.pdf.
37 International North Pacific Fisheries Commission (INPFC) was established by this Convention,
and comprised Canada, Japan, and the United States of America as members. The INPFC dissolved
when the Convention of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean came into effect on
16 February 1993; see https://npafc.org/inpfc/.
38 The Convention was adopted in May 1966. This convention established the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The text which reflects the seventh
revision is available at https://www.iccat.int/en/.
39 The Convention was signed on 24 October 1978 and entered into force on 1 January 1979.
The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) was established by this convention.
The convention was amended four times. The last amendment came into force on 18 May
2017. The amended text is available at https://www.nafo.int/Portals/0/PDFs/key-publications/
NAFOConvention-2017.pdf.
2 Implementation of the Rules of the UNCLOS Through Universal and Regional. . .
17