Fisheries

"The Convention includes a legally binding Schedule which, amongst other things, sets out catch limits for commercial and aboriginal subsistence whaling.  The Schedule is an integral part of the Convention, but its provisions, for example catch limits, may be amended by the Commission.  In practice, amendments to the Schedule are almost always agreed at the Commission’s biennial meetings".

Fisheries Act. Concerns minimum sizes, closed times, welfare rules and other measures in the interest of fishing; the registration of fishing vessels, the compliance with international obligations, high sea and coastal fisheries… Although the act does not specifically regulate aquaculture, it allows the Minister to further regulate the farming or processing of and trade in fish for purposes of prevention or eradication of fish diseases.

Aims "to create a cooperation in order to maintain the populations of tuna and tuna-like fish at levels which permit the maximum sustainable catch for food in the Atlantic ocean. The implementation of the convention is supervised by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)". Its area covers the Wadden Sea.

Act on the Implementation of the Convention on Conduct of Fishing Operations in the North Atlantic - 1967.

The Parties to this Convention declare in the Preamble that they desire "to ensure good order and conduct on the fishing grounds in the North Atlantic Area. The Convention lays down rules for the conduct of fishing operations and use of vessels and gear by nationals of States being party to the Convention and provides with respect to implementation of provisions of the present Convention by Contracting Parties and the resolution of disputes between Contracting Parties and nationals of Contracting Parties". Includes the North Sea in its area.

Federal Waterways Act. Refers to some extent to fisheries (cf §1)

Act on the joint task "Improvement of the agricultural structure and coastal protection". Refers to some extent to fisheries.

Animal Welfare Act. Establishes rules regarding protection of animals' welfare including fish.

Its objective is to "promote the effective control of all sources of marine pollution (including from fishing) and to take all practicable steps to prevent pollution of the sea by dumping of wastes and other matters".

"Updates and replaces the Collision Regulations of 1960 which were adopted at the same time as the 1960 SOLAS Convention. One of the most important innovations in the 1972 COLREGs was the recognition given to traffic separation schemes - Rule 10 gives guidance in determining safe speed, the risk of collision and the conduct of vessels operating in or near traffic separation schemes. Specific measures relate to fishing vessels".

Aims that no species of wild fauna and flora becomes or remains subject to unsustainable exploitation because of international trade.

"Contains requirements to prevent pollution that may be caused both accidentally and in the course of routine operations. Concerns the prevention of pollution from oil, bulk chemicals, dangerous goods, sewage, garbage and gas".

Comprehensive range of minimum standards for the safe construction of ships ans the basic safety equipment to be carried on board. Only the Chapter V applies to fishing vessels.
"Chapter V identifies certain navigation safety services which should be provided by Contracting Governments and sets forth provisions of an operational nature applicable in general to all ships on all voyages. This is in contrast to the Convention as a whole, which only applies to certain classes of ship engaged on international voyages. The subjects covered include the maintenance of meteorological services for ships; the ice patrol service; routeing of ships; and the maintenance of search and rescue services. This Chapter also includes a general obligation for masters to proceed to the assistance of those in distress and for Contracting Governments to ensure that all ships shall be sufficiently and efficiently manned from a safety point of view. The chapter makes mandatory the carriage of voyage data recorders (VDRs) and automatic ship identification systems (AIS)."

Act on the Convention on Conduct of Fishing Operations in the North Atlantic - 1967. Implements the Convention in Germany (North Sea).

Ordinance on the granting of private storage aid for certain fishery products. The provisions of this ordinance apply to the implementation of the legal acts of the Council and the Commission of the European Communities on the granting of aid for the private storage of certain fishery products.

Drugs law (marketing of medicines). Applies to some extent to aquaculture.

Proclamation of the Federal Republic of Germany on the establishment of a fishing zone for the Federal Republic of Germany in the North Sea. Declares that Germany extends its fishing zone up to 200nm according to international customary law which preceded the creation of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"First international convention on the safety of fishing vessels, recognising the great differences in design and operation between these vessels and other types of ships. While other vessels load cargo in port, fishing vessels sail empty and load their cargo at sea. The Convention included safety requirements for the construction and equipment of new, decked, seagoing fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over, including those vessels also processing their catch".

Regulation on sea and coastal fisheries. Refers to the common fisheries policy, the Convention on Conduct of Fishing Operations in the North Atlantic, the Fisheries Act (1963). Defines rules concerning sea and coastal fisheries and takes into account nature conservation interests. It mentions the possibility to establish closed areas, fish only during specific periods, the quotas of capture, the length of captured fish, the type of fishing gear used, which kind of fishing vessels are allowed to fish in which areas...

Act establishing a 200nm fishing zone.

Implementing Decree pursuant to Article 1 Authorization Act for the establishment of a fishing zone.

Lower Saxony Fishing Law. Sets the rules regarding fisheries in Lower Saxony. Refers to Regulation (EC) No. 1100/2007, (EC) No. 708/2007 regarding the use of alien species in aquaculture. Refers also the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).

Aims "to conserve and restore salmon stock as well as implementing a sustainable management in the North Atlantic Ocean. Articles 1 and 2 of The Convention for the Conservation of Salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean prohibit fishing for salmon beyond areas of fisheries jurisdiction and, in most areas of the North Atlantic, beyond twelve nautical miles of the baselines. This creates an enormous zone free of directed salmon fisheries".

"Lays down a comprehensive regime of laws and orders in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources. It enshrines the notion that all problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be addressed as a whole".

"Covers prevention of pollution by oil from operational measures as well as from accidental discharges; the 1992 amendments to Annex I made it mandatory for new oil tankers to have double hulls and brought in a phase-in schedule for existing tankers to fit double hulls, which was subsequently revised in 2001 and 2003".

"Contains details the discharge criteria and measures for the control of pollution by noxious liquid substances carried in bulk; some 250 substances were evaluated and included in the list appended to the Convention; the discharge of their residues is allowed only to reception facilities until certain concentrations and conditions (which vary with the category of substances) are complied with. In any case, no discharge of residues containing noxious substances is permitted within 12 miles of the nearest land".  

Ordinance on the granting of concessions within the framework of the common organization of the market for fishery products (Fishery Products Ordinance).

On the allocation of the possibilities for catching herring in the North Sea as from 1 January 1984

Concerns certain measures to adjust capacity in the fisheries sector

Law for the regulation of sea fishing and for the implementation of fishing law of the European Union. Refers to legal acts of the European Union regulating the practice of maritime fisheries and aiming the conservation of fish stocks and more generally of the marine environment. Refers particularly to Regulations (EC) 1005/2008, (EC) 1224/2009 and other legal acts of the EU which have been enacted within the framewok of the mentioned regulations. Refers to the federal responsabilities regarding fisheries, fishing licences, the practice of maritime fishing by vessels which are not allowed to fly the federal flag, the monitoring of maritime fisheries, the Fishing Monitoring Center, the automatic identification of ships, the EU inspectors, the role of customs authorities... It is one of the main German legal act on the topic.

On the attachment of devices to trawls, Danish seines and similar nets

Amends Directive 83/515/EEC concerning certain measures to adjust capacity in the fisheries sector

Lays down detailed rules for applying the common marketing standards for certain fresh or chilled fish

On sampling of catches for the purpose of determining the percentage of target species and protected species when fishing with small-meshed nets

Amends Regulation (EEC) No 3440/84 on the attachment of devices to trawls, Danish seines and similar nets

"Deals with different types of garbage and specifies the distances from land and the manner in which they may be disposed of; the most important feature of the Annex is the complete ban imposed on the disposal into the sea of all forms of plastics".

Amends Regulation (EEC) No 3703/85 laying down detailed rules for applying the common marketing standards for certain fresh or chilled fish

Lays down common marketing standards for preserved sardines and trade descriptions for preserved sardines and sardine-type products

Decree restricting free fishing in coastal waters. Establishes rules regarding fishing in coastal waters and refers to the Fisheries Act 1963 as well as to the Ems Dollart Treaty.

Ordinance on responsibilities in the field of fishing and the fishing industry.

Premium scheme for collected environmentally hazardous substances. Applies to packed hazardous substances which are lost at sea by ships or are fished in the Dutch territorial sea and EEZ. Awards premiums for the collection of those marine pollutants. The scheme applies to all Dutch fishing vessels, as well as all fishing vessels registered in one of the member states of the EEC and which are entitled to fish in the Dutch fishing zone.

Decree on fishing vessels. Establishes rules applicable to fishing vessels (technical aspects, safety…).

Maritime fisheries Ordinance. It refers to the law for the regulation of sea fishing and for the implementation of fishing law of the European Union. Concerns the control of coastal fisheries, the restrictions on fishing (cf Regulation (EC) 1224/2009), control measures, marketing controls, binding landing places, reporting systems (cf Regulation (EU) 404/2011), transhipment and landing declarations (cf Regulation (EC) 1224/2009), exceptions for coastal and daily fisheries, fishing gears (cf Regulation (EU) 2015/812), weight of fisheries products (cf Regulation (EC) 1224/2009)...

Executive Order on fishing for and landing of mussels from the Wadden Sea. Refers to minimum sized for mussels, fishing time frame, landing conditions…

The Agreement was concluded under the auspices of the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention, CMS). The WSSA was the first daughter agreement concluded under CMS. The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) acts as the secretariat of the WSSA. The WSSA contains provisions, amongst others, on research and monitoring, taking, protection of habitats and awareness.
The Seal Agreement is implemented by regular Seal Management Plans (SMP) by EG-Seals. (Latest version: 2018-2022 and refers to by-catch). SMP requires effort and objectives (to determine and reduce the number of seals caught as by-catch in fishing activities and ensure that seals do not drown in fyke nets).

Law on the National Park Wadden Sea Hamburg. Partly refers to the fisheries activities and its interaction with the environment. Refers to the Federal Nature Conservation Act and states the rules applying to those activities in the National Park.

Act on genetic modification.

Environmental Impact Assessment Act (UVPG). Defines conditions regarding the installation of aquaculture facilities.

Contains general requirements for the issuing of detailed standards on packing, marking, labelling, documentation, stowage, quantity limitations, exceptions and notifications. For the purpose of this Annex, “harmful substances” are those substances which are identified as marine pollutants in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) or which meet the criteria in the Appendix of Annex III.

Establishes restrictions regarding anchoring near submarines cables and submarine pipelines. Refers to the Act on Safety of Navigation (repealed?). Applies to fisheries.

On the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and especially certain species of fish and habitats which can be affected by specific fishing methods.

Animal Health and Welfare Act. Refers to some extent to aquaculture. Refers to the Fisheries Act of 1963. Contains detailed requirements on the farming and processing of and trade in aquaculture animals and products

Has direct implications for marine aquaculture. Under the Convention, the Paris Commission (PARCOM) issued Recommendation 94/6 on Best Environmental Practice (BEP) for the Reduction of Inputs of Potentially Toxic Chemicals from Aquaculture

"The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the international legal instrument for "the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources""

"The Torremolinos Protocol was adopted to update, amend and absorb the parent Convention. In the 2000s, IMO began reviewing the options available to tackle the lack of sufficient ratifications to bring this treaty into force. In 2012, a new agreement was adopted".

Ordinance on marketing standards for fishery products. The provisions of this regulation apply to the implementation of the regulations of the Council and the Commission of the European Communities on marketing standards that have been issued within the framework of the common market organization for fishery products and aquaculture products. Refers to Council Regulation (EC) No 2406/96.

Establishes "basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel on an international level. The Convention prescribes minimum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel, which countries are obliged to meet or exceed".

Aims "to promote long-term conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources. The Code sets out principles and international standards of behavior for responsible practices with a view to ensuring the effective conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity. The Code recognizes the nutritional, economic, social, environmental and cultural importance of fisheries and the interests of all stakeholders of the fishing and aquaculture industries. The Code takes into account the biological characteristics of the resources and their environment and the interests of consumers and other users. It is a reference for the development of national legal frameworks regarding fisheries".

The Agreement "sets out principles for the conservation and management of those fish stocks and establishes that such management must be based on the precautionary approach and the best available scientific information. The Agreement elaborates on the fundamental principle, established in the Convention, that States should cooperate to ensure conservation and promote the objective of the optimum utilization of fisheries resources both within and beyond the exclusive economic zone".

Act on Exclusive Economic Zones. Defines the rights of the coastal state on waters until 400nm