A widely agreed remedy for overfishing, which has dramatically depleted fish populations in the world's oceans, would be to adopt the voluntary Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1995. The code provides a detailed consensus for the scientific, sustainable, responsible and equitable exploitation of fishery resources. Now, 13 years after its publication, a detailed evaluation for the 53 countries landing 96% of the global marine catch (based on reported catch in 1999) reveals dismayingly poor compliance. To improve matters, we suggest establishing mandatory instruments, either national or international, that echo the specific requirements for compliance with the code, and tailoring aid for developing countries to address specific weaknesses. In 2004, we began an extensive analysis of the most active fishing countries in the world. We evaluated the published and unpublished literature, and probed expert opinion to answer 44 questions about adherence to Article 7 of the code, which covers fisheries management, for the 53 countries1. The questions fall into six evaluation fields. The first three measure intentions to comply with the code, rating a country's balance of conservation and economic aims; its stated management targets; and its use of precaution when expanding fisheries and establishing no-take zones.
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