Legal Obligations of New and Exploratory Fisheries on the High Seas

Abstract

The thesis examines the legal obligations of states pursuing new and exploratory fisheries on the high seas. The lack of scientific data on new fisheries makes the targeted stock and its ecosystem vulnerable to a unstustainable fishing practice. A special focus is therefore given in the thesis to examine what legal requirements states have to consider the scientific uncertainty before deciding to start a new fishery and if there are legal obligations that prevent states from starting new fisheries from starting without regulations.