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| International Convention for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries | ||||||
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Link
to text of agreement
Status
of agreement
| Basic information |
| Date of adoption | 8 February 1949 |
| Place of adoption | Washington DC, United States |
| Entry into force | 3 July 1950 |
| Authentic text(s) | English |
| Associated instruments | 1962
Declaration of Understanding 1963 Protocol |
| Summary of agreement |
The International Convention for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries was opened for signature in February 1949, having been negotiated at a conference convened by the United States in the previous month. The Convention entered into force on 3 July 1950 after the deposit of instruments of ratification by four signatory Governments, namely: Canada, Iceland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Over the almost 30 years of the Convention's operation, participation increased to 18 States, including: Bulgaria, Cuba, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the USSR.
The primary objective of the Convention was to promote the investigation, protection and conservation of Northwest Atlantic fisheries, beyond national jurisdiction, in order to make possible the maintenance of a maximum sustained catch from those fisheries. The Convention did not specify the fisheries resources to which it applied (it applied generally to fish and fisheries), although in 1961 the parties adopted a Declaration, expressing their understanding that references to "fish" etc. in the Convention included molluscs, as well as finny fish; in 1963 a Protocol was adopted, extending the application of the Convention to harp and hooded seals. A major component of the Convention was the establishment of the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (ICNAF), which became the responsible body for the investigation, protection and conservation of the fishery resources of the Northwest Atlantic. In many respects, this was an advanced model for cooperation in fisheries, as it had a comprehensive structure, which included - in addition to the Commission - regional panels, advisory committees (composed of persons, including fishermen, vessel owners and others) and various scientific committees and sub-committees. ICNAF was also authorized to recommend, based on scientific investigation, the application of measures designed to maintain a maximum sustainable catch for international fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic and many practical initiatives for the management and conservation of fish resources were developed. These included: international quota regulations and national allocations; quotas on a precautionary basis to allow rebuilding of stocks; fishery science methods and statistics; and proposals for international measures of control on the high seas. However, the Commission, which depended upon consensus in decision-making, often did not recommend sufficiently effective measures and was not able to prevent a general decline in fish stocks.
Following the extension of the jurisdiction over the living resources to limits of up to 200 miles by the coastal States of the Northwest Atlantic, it was decided to replace the ICNAF Convention with a new convention. This occurred on 24 October 1978 when eight Parties signed the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries in Ottawa, Canada.
| Further information and references |
- Related instruments
1962
Declaration of Understanding
1963 Protocol
Convention on Future Multilateral
Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries