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| Convention on the Conservation of the Living Resources of the Southeast Atlantic |
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Link
to text of agreement
Status
of agreement
| Basic information |
| Date of adoption | 23 October 1969 |
| Place of adoption | Rome, Italy |
| Entry into force | 24 October 1971 |
| Authentic text(s) | English, French, Spanish |
| Associated instruments | - 1985 Amendment - 1990 Protocol of Termination |
| Summary of agreement |
The Convention on the Conservation of the Living Resources of the Southeast Atlantic (ICSEAF Convention) was adopted in October 1969, primarily in response to increased exploitation of the Namibian offshore fishery by fleets from the former USSR, Spain and Portugal. At the first session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in 1966 it was stated that the living resources of the Southeast Atlantic required international attention and on 23 October 1969 twelve States adopted the ICSEAF Convention. The principal aim of the Convention, which entered into force on 24 October 1971, was the conservation and rational use of all living resources of the Southeast Atlantic and to this end it established the International Commission for the South East Atlantic Fisheries (ICSEAF). Participation in the Convention was dominated by distant water fishing nations. In 1990 the parties to the Convention were: Angola, South Africa, Bulgaria, Cuba, France, Germany, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep. of), Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia and Spain.
The Commission held regular sessions, at least every two years, at which policy was decided and conservation and management measures were established. Under Article VIII of the Convention, the Commission could make recommendations to the contracting parties on any measures relating to the conservation and management of the living resources to which the Convention applied, and such measures entered into force through an objection procedure. In addition to these powers, the Commission was empowered to establish subsidiary bodies, such as regional and stock committees, a scientific advisory council and other bodies. The power was exercised on a number of occasions to set up a number of bodies, including the Scientific Advisory Council, regional and stock committees and a number of Standing Committees on finance and administration, statistics, assessment of stocks, regulation of fisheries and on enforcement. The functions of the Scientific Advisory Council were to advise and assist the Commission and regional and stock committees with respect to the scientific aspects of their responsibilities. Based on information provided by contracting parties, the Scientific Advisory Council prepared draft recommendations for the Commission’s Sessions.
On 19 July 1990 a Protocol was adopted for the termination of the Convention. In accordance with the Protocol, the Convention shall terminate when all contracting parties have deposited an instrument of acceptance of the Protocol with the Director-General of the FAO. Although this has not yet occurred (and so the Convention technically remains in force) to all extents and purposes, the Convention and the Commission are now defunct. Negotiations for a replacement organization were concluded in 2001 with the adoption of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Fishery Resources in the South East Atlantic Ocean.
| Further information and references |
- Internet sources
- Bibliographic references
K.A. Bekiashev and V.V. Serebriakov, International Maritime Organizations (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1981) [pp. 294-305]
- Additional references
FAO Treaty List, No. 15