Document Type : Article

Author

Assistant Prof., International Law Department, Faculty of Law, University of Qom, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract

The Regional Fisheries Commission has taken four questions from the International Court of Law of the Sea and asked it to issue an advisory opinion. The International Court of Law of the Sea, with a dynamic interpretation of Article 21 of the Statute and Article 138 of the Rules of the Court, ruled that the authority to issue an advisory opinion is not exclusive to the Seabed Litigation Branch. In Case No. 21, it is the first time that the General Board of Judges of the International Court of Law of the Sea has issued an advisory opinion. This can lead to a more comprehensive opinion. The following article aims to analyze the content of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Law of the Sea in case number 21. For this purpose, the performance of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in response to the four questions of the Regional Fisheries Commission are examined separately. The research method is descriptive-analytical. The aforementioned court, while answering the questions of the Regional Fisheries Commission, stated that the obligations of the flag state in dealing with illegal, unreported and unorganized fishing are irrevocable and the civil responsibility of the flag state in taking appropriate actions to deal with it. The relationship between the management of marine living resources and the protection of the marine environment has been emphasized. A matter that was previously clarified in cases such as South Blufin, which itself shows its consistency.

Keywords

Main Subjects

  1. English

    1. A) Articles
    2. Anton, D., Makgill, R., & Payne, C. (2011). Advisory Opinion on Responsibility & Liability for International Seabed Mining (ITLOS Case No. 17): International Environmental Law in the Seabed Disputes Chamber. Australian National University, College of Law, Research Paper No. 11-06, 1-13.
    3. Babu, R. (2015). State Responsibility for Illegal, Unreported and Unrelated Fishing and Sustainable Fisheries in the EEZ: Some Reflections on the ITLOS Advisory Opinion of 2015. Indian Journal of International Law, (55), 239-264.
    4. Lando, M. (2016). The Advisory Jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: Comments on the Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission. Leiden Journal of International Law, (29), 441-461.
    5. Schatz, V. (2016b). Fishing for Interpretation: The ITLOS Advisory Opinion on Flag State Responsibility for Illegal Fishing in the EEZ. Ocean Development and International Law, 47(4), 327-345.
    6. Schatz, V. (2016a). Combatting Illegal Fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone-Flag State Obligations in the Context of the Primary Responsibility of the Coastal State. Goettingen Journal of International Law, 7(2), 383-414.
    7. Tanaka, Y. (2015). Reflections on the Advisory Jurisdiction of ITLOS as Full Court: The ITLOS Advisory Opinion of 2015. Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals, 14(2), 318-339.

     

    1. B) Cases
    2. International Court of Justice, (1996). Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, Advisory Opinion.
    3. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (1982). The Statute (Annex VI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).
    4. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (1997). Rules of the Tribunal (ITLOS/8).
    5. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (2011). Responsibilities and Obligations of States Sponsoring Persons and Entities with respect to Activities in the Area (Request for Advisory Opinion Submitted to the Seabed Disputes Chamber), Case No. 17, Advisory Opinion.
    6. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (2013). Request for an Advisory Opinion to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Written Statement of the Permanent Secretariat of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission.
    7. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (2013). Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission, Written Statement by Germany.
    8. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (1999). Southern Bluefin Tuna (N.Z. Japan; Australia v. Japan), Provisional Measures, Order.
    9. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (2015). Press Release, Press 227, Tribunal Delivers Its Advisory Opinion Regarding Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Activities, 02.04.2015.
    10. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (2015). Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) (Request for Advisory Opinion Submitted to the Tribunal), Case No. 21, Advisory Opinion.

     

    1. C) Documents
    2. Agreement Establishing a Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC Convention) (1985).
    3. Amendment to the Convention of 29th March 1985 Establishing the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission., (1993).
    4. Convention on the Determination of the Minimal Conditions for Access and Exploitation of Marine Resources within the Maritime Areas under the Jurisdiction of the Member States of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (MAC Convention), (2012).
    5. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (2001). International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.
    6. International Law Commission (2001). Yearbook, II, part. 2, Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts.
    7. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)., (1982). 1833. UNTS. 396.

     

    1. D) Analytical Blogposts
    2. Boon, Kristen, (2013). New ITLOS Advisory Opinion Sought, Opinio Juris, April 10. http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/10/new-itlos-advisory-opinion-sought/
    3. Freestone, David, (2011). Advisory Opinion of the Seabed Disputes Chamber of International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on Responsibilities and Obligations of States Sponsoring Persons and Entities with respect to Activities in the Area, ASIL Insight, March 9. https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/15/issue/7/advisory-opinion-seabed-disputes-chamber-international-tribunal-law-sea-
    4. Romee van der Marel, Eva, (2015). ITLOS Issues Its Advisory Opinion on IUU Fishing, JCLOS. http://site.uit.no/jclos/2015/04/21/itlos-issues-its-advisory-opinion-on-iuu-fishing/

     

    References in Persian

    1. Gustafson Juras, K., Louis B. S., John E., Noyes & Erik Franckx (2014). The International Law of the Sea. Translated by Mohammad Habibi Mojande, Tehran: Jangal (In Persian).
    2. Habibi, H., & Shamloo, S. (2014). The Role of the ICJ in the Development of International Law. Journal of Public Law Research, (41), 71-114. (in Persian)
    3. Mirabbasi, S. B.r (2012). Public International Law (Second Volume). Tehran: Bonyad Hoghooghi Mizan (In Persian).
    4. Mohebbi, M., & Azari, H.(2017). Counterclaim before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the Light of Order of 2 November 2012 in the ‘Virginia G’ Case (the Republic of Panama and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau). International Law Review, (55), 31-52 (In Persian).
    5. Salehi, J. (2017). Advisory Opinion of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; Manifestation of Flag State Obligations on Illegal Fishing by Vessels Flying its Flag in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Third State. Journal of Oceanography, (28), 1-12 (In Persian).
    6. Shaw, M. N. (2015). Hoghooghe Beinolmelale Daryaha ba Negahi be Masaele Iran, Translated and Added by Alireza Ebrahimgol & Hassan Khosroshahi, Tehran: Khorsandy (In Persian).
    7. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982). Translated by Mansour Pournouri & Mohammad Habibi, Tehran: Mahd e Hoghoogh (In Persian).