The conservation of living resources in the Mediterranean

Abstract

This Thesis examines and explores how the International Community has acted to ensure the proper management and conservation of living resources in the Mediterranean Sea. The First Chapter gives a historical overview of the International law of fisheries with particular reference to the Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. In this Chapter we find that the legal structure provided by the Law of the Sea Convention 1982 did not guarantee the necessary protection of living resources. Actually, in the years following the Convention we have seen an increasing depletion of fish stocks. The second Chapter gives a detailed analysis of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the role it plays in Mediterranean fisheries. Fisheries are a branch of International law where cooperation between States becomes indispensable in order to achieve certain objectives. Of significance is the new trend taken by some Mediterranean States of extending their maritime zones and in particular the current "battle of laws" between Malta, Libya and Tunisia. The Third Chapter deals with the numerous initiatives taken by the European Union to guarantee the sustainable management of living resources. This includes looking at the Reform to the Common Fisheries Policy, the new European Fisheries Fund and the Action Plan for the Mediterranean. The Fourth and last Chapter examines Maltese legislation relating to fishing, in particular the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, 2001. Also, this Chapter looks at Malta's Fishing Zone and how EU membership has affected such a zone. This chapter is concluded with my comments on Exclusive Economic Zones in the Mediterranean and what Malta should focus upon in the coming years.