Global Fishing Watch welcomes the adoption of the United Nations resolution on sustainable fishing

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Global Fishing Watch’s policy director, Courtney Farthing, hails the UN General Assembly’s move as ‘important’ to achieve transparent fisheries management.

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NEW YORK, United States, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Fishing Watch, the leading international non-profit organization dedicated to improving ocean governance through transparency of human activities at sea, today welcomed the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly resolution on sustainable fisheries, hailing it as an important step in making transparency has become “the norm rather than the exception.”

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The decision was adopted unanimously on Thursday by the 193 members of the UN policy-making body, this decision follows the views provided by Global Fishing Watch and marks a milestone in the journey to promote transparency, tracking of vessels and identification of the most beneficial ownership in the management of the fishing industry. .

“The initiative of the UN General Assembly is a major development in the global discourse on transparency in fisheries management,” said Courtney Farthinginternational policy director of Global Fishing Watch. “Transparency forms the basis for effective fisheries management and broader ocean governance—only by seeing what’s happening across the ocean can we reduce and prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, ensure fair supply of healthy fish and protect marine biodiversity. ”

Every year, the UN General Assembly considers a resolution on sustainable fisheries under the agenda item “Oceans and the Law of the Sea.” This resolution represents a comprehensive account of activities related to sustainable fisheries and is seen as a symbol of international organizations promoting their activities in this sector.

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For its part, resolution 2024 includes specific provisions that raise global expectations for sustainable and responsible fisheries management and recognizes transparency as essential to successful fisheries management.

Furthermore, this decision highlights vessel tracking as an important law enforcement tool and calls for global research to improve data-driven governance. It also prioritizes the identification of beneficial ownership of fishing vessels to address accountability gaps in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, urging the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its subcommittees to continue to examine the issue. In addition, the text of the decision also encourages improved cooperation, encouraging States and international organizations to integrate transparent procedures and promote the exchange of data in the management of the fishing industry.

Global Fishing Watch has long urged Member States to emphasize the importance of sharing beneficial ownership information through FAO’s Global Record and continues to support calls for a global survey on vessel tracking to be developed by FAO, so that this data can be used to inform effective fisheries management.

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With continued support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Global Fishing Watch remains committed to advancing transparency as a principle of ocean governance and engaging UN member states to adopt policies that help promote sustainable fishing practices.

“Resolution 2024 is an important step in the right direction as it aligns the international community with Global Fishing Watch’s vision of using data and transparency to achieve sustainable and accountable fisheries management,” Mrs. Farthing continued. “Our goal long ago was to ensure that transparency becomes the standard – not the exception. And with marine resources under enormous pressure, it is imperative that both governments and industry prioritize transparent practices and be accountable for their efforts to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”

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About Global Fishing Watch:

Global Fishing Watch is an international non-profit organization dedicated to improving ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity in the ocean. By building and publicly sharing mapping visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and change the way our oceans are managed. We believe that people’s activities at sea should be public knowledge in order to protect the world’s oceans for the benefit of all people.

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• Global Fishing Watch welcomes the adoption of the United Nations resolution on sustainable fishing

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