7.9.2013   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 258/51

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having regard to Article 117 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides that ‘All States have the duty to take, or to cooperate with other States in taking (…) measures (…) necessary for the conservation of the living resources of the high seas’,

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having regard to the 1993 Agreement to promote compliance with international conservation and management measures by fishing vessels on the high seas, and the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries,

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having regard to Rule 123 of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas average global fish consumption has reached a record of 17 kg per person per year, and whereas fish provides over 15 % of the protein intake of more than 3 billion people;

B.

whereas the global sustainability of fisheries is a prerequisite for the conservation of fish stocks and for the access of future generations to this invaluable marine resource, and whereas the concentration of fisheries’ ownership in private hands entails severe negative effects;

C.

whereas there is a need for global action to protect this resource and ensure that it is regarded as a common good, while also ensuring equitable distribution of the related collective benefits;

1.

Invites the Commission to promote legislative action, at EU and Member State level, on the importance of fish as a global common good, to implement the necessary measures to protect marine resources, to ensure access to and sustainable use of these resources – through international coordination – and to conduct an information campaign for EU citizens;

2.

Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories (1), to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.