Cabinet okays UN convention on migratory fish conservation

The Government today decided to be part of the United Nations convention on Law of the Sea for cooperating with other nations in conservation and management of migratory fishes. The accession to the agreement for the implementation of provisions of UN conventions, which was approved by the Union Cabinet today, would give India the right to inspect vessels suspected of violation of the law among other ways of cooperation with developed and developing nations.

‘‘The agreement is aimed at formalising cooperation between high sea fishing nations and developing countries for conservation and management of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks,’’ Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj told reporters.

The agreement for the implementation of the provisions of the UN convention on Law of the Sea of December 1982, was adopted in December 1995 and came into force in 2001.