The need for a second edition was seen at the outset of the original project. There have been numerous developments in the international scene and at the national level to merit an update of the document.
The original report was in great demand from within Australia and from overseas as well. It was timely and well received by a diverse range of agencies and interest groups. The fishing industry appreciated the content and were able to use it as a guide in several disputes that emerged in the period after publication. There have now been significant changes since the original report and there is need for a second edition.
The update would be supported by many agencies and fishing industry organisations who commented on the usefulness of the original report. Given the increasing political influence of the issues addressed in the report, we expect the updated report to be well received and be useful to a variety of organisations.
Final report
This is the second edition of the FRDC project international environmental instruments-their effect on the fishing industry. The need for this project was identified in 1994 by the fisheries policy unit of the Department of Primary Industry and Energy (DPIE, now Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia, AFFA). The first edition of the report was published in September 1995 and was well received by a wide readership. The FRDC has subsequently initiated a second edition of the report. The objective of the second edition is to identify the changes evident in the international legislative arena and discuss the development of responses to these changes.
The second edition recognises the development of international environmental instruments and updates these conventions and associated developments. The international legislative and trade perspective is continued, though it is recognised that national environmental legislation may be more directly impacting than instruments at the international level. The second edition does not give so much emphasis to the domestic legislation of the United States and includes several more international developments. It also examines the implications for industry and government of trade and legislative developments. The second edition focuses on the implications of international environmental instruments on fishing operations and fisheries management in particular. Specific examination of domestic legislation remains outside the terms of reference of the project.
The first edition made recommendations for the Australian industry. Developments in response to international instruments are investigated and several more issues are raised for the attention of industry and policy makers. The original research report was presented to the environmental sub-committee of the Australian Seafood Industry Council, (ASIC) for discussion, feedback, and clarification of emphasis. With the second edition, we thank a panel of seafood industry representatives, nominated by ASIC, for comments on a final draft.
The project has uncovered a large volume of material in this rapidly expanding area. In this second edition we wish the issues presented here to be discussed through the whole fisheries sector as international environmental instruments will have both negative and positive implications for the Australian fishing industry.
