Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing

The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries was adopted by the General Assembly of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1995 to establish a fishing system in which fishermen and fishing-related countries take responsibility for the sustainable development and utilization of fishery resources, while taking into consideration the environment and future generations of humanity.GSSIIt is used as a reference point for international seafood eco-label certification.

New maritime legal regimes, such as the widespread introduction of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in the 1970s and the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 (which came into force in 1994), gave coastal states greater responsibility for managing the fishery resources within their EEZs. However, as many coastal states sought to extract greater profits from the fisheries in their EEZs, they faced resource depletion due to overfishing. By the late 1980s it became apparent that unrestrained fishing could not sustain fishery resources and that fisheries management and environmental considerations were urgently needed to protect the resources.

In May 1992, the International Conference on Responsible Fisheries (Cancun Conference) was held in Cancun, Mexico. The Cancun Declaration that was adopted presented "responsible fisheries" as a concept that encompasses the following four points:

In response to this, the FAO adopted the Code of Conduct at its 1995th Session in October 10. The Conference also agreed to request the FAO to develop an International Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
A Code of Conduct is in the form of written provisions, like an agreement or treaty, but it is positioned as a voluntary code that is not legally binding.

The treaty consists of 12 articles and provides for the following:

・General Principles (Article 6)
Basic principles for "responsible fishing," including preventing overfishing and excess fishing capacity and managing the fishing industry based on scientific evidence
- Fisheries Management (Article 7)
Adoption of measures for sustainable use of resources, cooperation with relevant countries, data collection, etc.
- Fishing operations (Article 8)
Records of fishing permits issued by flag states, use of appropriate fishing gear and methods, etc.
- Development of aquaculture (Article 9)
Promoting proper aquaculture, including the use of appropriate feed, feed additives, and chemicals, and the conservation of genetic diversity
- Post-harvest processing and trade (Article 11)
Conformity with resource conservation and management measures, including trade and post-harvest processing

The adoption of the "Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries" outlined the principles and ideals for the sustainable use of fishery resources in harmony with the environment and the conservation of ecosystems, which led to the development of a fishery eco-label that embodies the code of conduct for the management of fishery resources and the conservation of ecosystems. In 1997, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), established in the UK,MSC Newswas launched.

FAO then formulated the "Guidelines for Ecolabeling of Marine Fisheries and Seafood Products" in 2005, and the "International Guidelines for Certification Schemes for Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries" in 2011. Based on these guidelines, manyMarine Eco-LabelCertification schemes are emerging.

<References>

FAO "Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries" (Japanese translation)
Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
The current situation regarding fishery eco-labels (Fisheries Agency)