On fairness of international organizations of tuna fisheries

Abstract:

Five international organizations of tuna fisheries are established to conserve highly migratory, straddling tuna stocks. Tuna fisheries in high seas are consequentially transformed from a time of free competition to a time of cooperative competition on the platform of international organizations of tuna fisheries. However the rules concerning utilization and conversation of tuna stocks elaborated fundamentally by the developed fishing states are not entirely consistent with the principles of international customary law, of 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,and of international environmental law. Relatively and proportionally high contributions for organizational membership, quota allocation or fishing capacity limitation correlated unduely to historical catch and so-called contributions to scientific research, and financial contribution schemes correlated low proportionally to annual average catch in a short-term, etc are prejudices to the fishing interests enjoyed by developing distant fishing nations, coastal states and archipelagic states. Some recommendations are put forward: emphasize study on international fisheries law and environmental law, participate actively in amending the basic texts of tuna fisheries organizations to establish much fairer international fishery order with other states together,and enhance international competiveness of fisheries enterprises to increase game strength during international negotiation.