Sign up to access the complete lesson and track your progress!
Unlock This CourseOur oceans don't have borders, but countries do. When fish swim from one nation's waters to another, or when fishing boats want to catch fish far from home, we need rules. International fishing agreements are like treaties between countries that decide who can fish where, how much they can catch and how to protect marine life.
These agreements are crucial because overfishing in one area can affect fish populations everywhere. They also impact marine tourism - nobody wants to visit coral reefs with no fish, or go whale watching where whales have disappeared.
Key Definitions:
Fish don't recognise national boundaries. Tuna might be born in Japanese waters, grow up near Australia and end up being caught by European fishing boats. Without international cooperation, countries might overfish shared stocks, leading to collapse of fish populations and damage to marine ecosystems that tourists love to visit.
Several important organisations work to manage global fisheries and create agreements between nations. These groups bring countries together to make decisions about fishing limits and conservation.
Often called the "Constitution of the Oceans," UNCLOS is the main international law governing how countries use ocean resources. It established the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone rule and sets out basic principles for fishing rights.
These groups manage specific fish species or ocean areas. Examples include the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
Part of the UN, the FAO helps countries develop sustainable fishing practices and provides data on global fish stocks. They publish guidelines that many international agreements follow.
Manages whale hunting worldwide. Their moratorium on commercial whaling has helped whale populations recover, boosting whale-watching tourism in many countries.
Let's look at some of the most important agreements that shape how countries fish and protect marine life around the world.
The European Union's fishing agreement covers all EU waters and affects millions of people. It sets quotas for different fish species and aims to make fishing sustainable by 2020.
The CFP banned "discarding" - throwing dead fish back into the sea - in 2019. This means fishing boats must land all the fish they catch, even if they're too small or the wrong species. This helps scientists better understand what's being caught and reduces waste.
This agreement protects Antarctica and its surrounding waters. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) manages fishing in the Southern Ocean, including krill fishing that affects whales, seals and penguins.
Atlantic bluefin tuna were nearly fished to extinction. International agreements through ICCAT have set strict quotas and closed areas to fishing during breeding season. Tuna populations are slowly recovering and this has helped Mediterranean diving tourism as larger fish return to popular dive sites.
International fishing agreements don't just affect fishermen - they have huge impacts on coastal tourism and the communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems.
When fishing agreements successfully protect marine life, tourism often flourishes. Healthy coral reefs attract divers, recovered whale populations support whale-watching industries and abundant fish make snorkelling more exciting.
The international whaling moratorium has allowed whale populations to recover. Countries like Iceland now make more money from whale-watching tourism than they ever did from whaling.
Marine protected areas created through international agreements often become premier diving destinations. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park attracts millions of tourists annually.
Sustainable fishing quotas help maintain fish populations for recreational fishing. Sport fishing tourism is worth billions globally and depends on healthy fish stocks.
International fishing agreements face many challenges. Countries don't always agree on fishing limits, some nations ignore the rules and enforcement on the open ocean is difficult.
Some countries exceed their quotas or fish in protected areas. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major problem that undermines conservation efforts and fair competition.
This valuable fish, marketed as Chilean sea bass, was heavily overfished by illegal operations in the Southern Ocean. International cooperation through CCAMLR, including satellite tracking and port inspections, has reduced illegal fishing by over 90%. The species is now recovering and legitimate fishing operations are more profitable.
As ocean temperatures rise, fish populations move to new areas. This creates conflicts when fish move from one country's waters to another's, requiring new agreements and updated quotas.
Fishing communities often resist catch limits that threaten their livelihoods. Successful agreements must balance conservation needs with economic realities, sometimes providing alternative employment in tourism or aquaculture.
Despite challenges, many international fishing agreements have achieved remarkable success in protecting marine life and supporting sustainable industries.
Strict quotas and fishing restrictions in the North Sea have helped cod populations begin to recover after decades of decline. This success supports both commercial fishing and marine tourism in the region.
After near-collapse, strict international quotas have helped Mediterranean bluefin tuna populations increase dramatically. This recovery has benefited both fishing communities and diving tourism operators who now see these magnificent fish returning to traditional areas.
After independence, Namibia negotiated fishing agreements that reserved most of their fish quota for local companies rather than foreign fleets. This policy has built a strong domestic fishing industry while maintaining sustainable catch levels. The healthy marine ecosystem also supports growing marine tourism along Namibia's coast.
International fishing agreements continue to evolve as we learn more about marine ecosystems and face new challenges like climate change and plastic pollution.
Satellite monitoring, electronic catch reporting and DNA testing of fish are making it easier to enforce fishing agreements and track fish populations. These technologies help ensure countries stick to their quotas and fish sustainably.
Modern agreements increasingly consider entire marine ecosystems rather than just individual fish species. This approach better protects the complex relationships between different marine species and their habitats.
Many countries now see marine tourism and sustainable fishing as complementary industries. International agreements increasingly consider how fishing policies affect tourism and vice versa, creating win-win solutions for coastal communities.