Endorsement of Principles

 

The IBSFC welcomes and supports Chapter 17 of Agenda 21 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. The IBSFC acknowledges the contributions from global and regional conventions and agreements and recognizes the commitment to implement them for the Baltic.

The IBSFC acknowledges the contribution from other international instruments and guidelines, such as relevant conclusions of the Intermediate Ministerial Meeting, of the North Sea Conference 1997. (see Annex 2 for relevant Reference Texts relevant for the Fisheries sector).

In this context, the following guiding principles are pertinent:

• The sustainable development and long term sustainability of fisheries resources. In order to achieve this aim, conservation and management measures should be based on the best scientific evidence available, and should ensure that the needs of the present generation is met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Application of a precautionary approach to management of living marine resources, as set out in the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The absence of adequate scientific knowledge should not be used as a reason for postponing or failing to take conservation management measures.
• The equitable distribution of the direct and indirect benefit of the available fishery resources between various local communities dependent on open sea, coastal and inland fisheries.
• The minimization of adverse impacts of fishing activities on species and habitats by taking appropriate measures in accordance with the above mentioned global conventions and agreements.
• Further integration of fisheries and environmental protection, conservation and management measures, drawing so far as scientific knowledge permits, on an ecosystem approach encompassing the following:

- the identification of processes in, and influences on, the ecosystems which are critical for maintaining their characteristic structure and functioning, productivity and biological diversity;

- recognition of the interaction among the different components of food-webs of the ecosystems (multi-species approach) and other important ecosystem interactions; and

- providing for an environment in these ecosystems which protects those critical ecosystem processes.

Reference texts relevant for the Fisheries Sector

I. International Conventions and Agreements

• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), signed at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 10 December 1982.

• „Gdansk Convention", Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources in the Baltic Sea and in the Belts, signed at Gdansk, Poland, on 13 September 1973.

• The Convention on Biological Diversity, signed in Rio de Janeiro, June 1992.

• FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing, 1995.

II. Political Declarations

• Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, UNCED, and „Agenda 21" which was jointly adopted in Rio de Janeiro, June 1992.

• The Declaration of Cancun on Responsible Fishing, 1992.

• Rome Consensus on World Fisheries, COFI 1995.

• Kyoto Declaration on Sustainable contribution of Fisheries to Food security, 1995.

• „Presidency Declaration" of Heads of State, Visby 3-4 May 1996.

• „Action programmes for the Baltic Sea States", Kalmar 2-3 July 1996.

• „An Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region", Saltsjobaden, 20-21 October 1996.

• Conclusions from the Intermediate Ministerial Meeting on the Integration of Fisheries and Environmental Issues, Bergen, 1997.

• Declaration of the III Conference of Ministers of Fisheries, La Toja, 1997.