Extended jurisdiction and the management of Pacific highly migratory species

Abstract

The Pacific region is the most important producer of tropical tuna in the world. Three subregions account for the production: Pacific Latin America, the Pacific Islands region, and Southeast Asia. Prior to the UN Third Conference on the Law of the Sea, the Tuna Fisheries in the subregions were the preserve of developed distant water fishing nations. The situation has now been entirely reversed, with coastal state jurisdiction and control being realized in all three subregions. It is argued that American opposition to coastal state jurisdiction over tuna resources acted as a goad to the coastal states in Pacific Latin America and the Pacific Islands region in their quest for greater control over tuna resources. There are prospects of cooperation developing among the three Pacific subregional tuna producers. It is argued further that American action may have inadvertently accelerated the progress toward cooperation.