This document contains the texts of three International Plans of Action (IPOA): the IPOA for reducing incidental catch of seabirds in longline fisheries; the IPOA for the conservation and management of sharks; and the IPOA for the management of fishing capacity. The IPOAs were developed as the COFI Members in 1997 found that it would be necessary to have some form of international agreement in order to manage the concerned issues in compliance with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The most suitable instrument for each of the three issues was found to be a voluntary International Plan of Action. The three texts were developed in the course of two intergovernmental meetings, open to all FAO Members, held in 1998. The IPOAs were adopted by the twenty-third session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries in February 1999 and endorsed by the FAO Council at the session it held in June 1999.

With by-catch in fisheries becoming an ever more high-profile problem, this brilliant work could not be more timely. It contains contributions from the world’s leading experts in by-catch reduction, who guide the reader through most aspects of the field. They examine the methodologies used to develop by-catch reduction techniques and provide new avenues for broadening such work. Case studies are provided that encompass most of the world’s fishing techniques and regions.

This handbook is the most comprehensive and interdisciplinary work on marine conservation and fisheries management ever compiled. It is the first to bridge fisheries and marine conservation issues. Its innovative ideas, detailed case studies, and governance framework provide a global special perspective over time and treat problems in the high seas, community fisheries, industrial fishing, and the many interactions between use and non-use of the oceans. Its policy tools and ideas for overcoming the perennial problems of over fishing, habitat and biodiversity loss address the facts that many marine ecosystems are in decline and plagued by overexploitation due to unsustainable fishing practices. An outstanding feature of the book is the detailed case-studies on conservation practice and fisheries management from around the world. These case studies are combined with 'foundation' chapters that provide an overview of the state of the marine world and innovative and far reaching perspectives about how we can move forward to face present and future challenges. The contributors include the world's leading fisheries scientists, economists, and managers. Ecosystem and incentive-based approaches are described and complemented by tools for cooperative, participatory solutions. Unique themes treated: fisher behavior and incentives for management beyond rights-based approaches; a synthesis of proposed 'solutions'; a framework for understanding and overcoming the critical determinants of the decline in fisheries, degradation of marine ecosystems, and poor socio-economic performance of many fishing communities; models for innovative policy instruments; a plan of action and adoption pathways to promote sustainable fishing practices globally. Collectively, the handbook's many valuable contributions offer a way forward to both understanding and resolving the multifaceted problems facing the world's oceans.

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) remains the cornerstone of global ocean governance. However, it lacks effective provisions or mechanisms to ensure that all ocean space and related problems are dealt with holistically. With seemingly no opportunity for revision due to the Conventions burdensome amendment provisions, complementary mechanisms dealing with such aspects of global ocean governance including maritime transport, fisheries, and marine environmental sustainability, have been developed under the aegis of the United Nations and other relevant international organizations. This approach is inherently fragmented and unable to achieve sustainable global ocean governance. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 14, the IMLI Treatise proposes a new paradigm on the basis of integrated and cross-sectoral approach in order to realise a more effective and sustainable governance regime for the oceans. This volume focuses on the role of the UN Specialized Agencies towards the development of effective and sustainable ocean governance by looking at the more elaborate mechanisms they developed in order to achieve the desired objectives laid down in UNCLOS. From FAO to UNODC, the volume examines how they ensure sustainable development and how much coordination exists among them.

Report of a workshop jointly organised by FAO and Birdlife International. NPOA-Seabirds = National plan of action for reducing incidental catch of seabirds in longline fisheries