Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Australia Pacific Coordinator, Lyn Goldsworthy told the participants at the international Sharing the Fish Conference today, that all states have a legal responsibility and obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment of the deep seas. “Arguments against a global moratorium on high seas bottom trawling, because it would be difficult to enforce are just not acceptable,” she said.
The DSCC paper presented to the meeting (1), highlights how the 1991 United Nations driftnet resolution was successful in creating a global moratorium on driftnet fishing and outlines a wide range of practical and simple measures for enforcing a high seas bottom trawling moratorium. Additionally most of the measures could also assist with managing illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. “A global UN moratorium on high seas bottom trawling is enforceable,” Ms Goldsworthy concluded. “And it is the simplest method of addressing the environmental impacts of high sea bottom trawling until longer term governance arrangements are put in place”.