Fisheries governance pressure group says urgent action is required to keep industrial fishers from “pulling a fast one”

With the timings for ratification and implementation of the new United Nations’ High Seas Treaty yet to be set, fisheries governance pressure group Accountability.Fish is calling for urgent action to open up the deliberations of international fisheries management bodies to keep industrial fishers from “pulling a fast one” by ramping up overfishing before the treaty comes into effect. 

“The UN High Seas treaty agreement is great news for the long term. But there are short term dangers that it brings that require urgent attention,” Accountability.Fish Global Director Ryan Orgera said. “Currently, the only ocean management bodies active in the world are regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs), and there is every indication that some RFMOs will give overfishing a green light until they are forced to do so by a treaty.”