Ghost Gear Report - 41

Convention)121 and its Protocol, are also coordinated by IMO and prohibit the dumping
of waste into the ocean. Yet there are implementation and compliance challenges with both
agreements. In 2018, IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) adopted the
IMO Action Plan to address marine plastic litter from ships122, which aims to enhance
existing regulations and introduce new supporting measures to reduce marine plastic litter from
ships. The MEPC agreed actions to be completed by 2025, which relate to all ships, including
fishing vessels. However, controlling and enforcing deliberate and unintentional littering in the
high seas is difficult to implement. Sanctions against littering imply that the act of littering is
observed which is highly unlikely in the open ocean.
● Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Code of Conduct
for Responsible Fisheries (Code of Conduct)123 is a voluntary instrument that provides
the legal principles for responsible fishing and fisheries activities, including recovery and
management of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear.
● United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) were set to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for everyone by
2030. There are 17 integrated SDGs with a shared focus on a balanced development in terms of
environmental, economic, and social sustainability. SDG 14 aims to conserve and sustainably
use the ocean, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. By 2025, prevent and
significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds124. While goals and targets are not legally
binding, the impact of SDG 14 on actions by States is important.
● The Agreement for the Implementation of UNCLOS relating to the Conservation
and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks
(United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement)125 includes obligations for States to minimize
pollution, waste, discards, and catch by lost or abandoned gear (article 5(f)). It includes
requirements for marking of fishing gear for identification in accordance with uniform and
internationally recognizable vessel and gear marking systems (article 18(3)(d)). However, the
implementation of the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement is expected to happen through
regional fisheries management bodies (RFMOs) and does not cover all fish stocks.
* Please refer to Annex 1 for additional international frameworks and the Ghost Gear Legislation Analysis Report for more
detailed information.

Ghost Gear Report

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