The Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, concluded in Ottawa in 1978, aims to assure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fishery resources in the North-West Atlantic, safeguarding the marine ecosystems in which they are found.
The regulation approves the conclusion by the European Economic Community — now the European Union (EU) — of the convention.
The decision approves, on behalf of the EU, the amended convention which is included in the decision.

KEY POINTS

Current (2022) parties to the convention

Canada
Cuba
Denmark (for the Faroes and Greenland)
EU
France (for Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
Iceland
Japan
Norway
Russia
South Korea
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States

Species covered

It covers most fishery resources of the North-West Atlantic except highly migratory species managed by other international treaties listed in Annex I to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, such as tunas/marlins, swordfish, sailfish, dolphins, oceanic sharks and sedentary species (e.g. shellfish).

Convention area

The North-West Atlantic Ocean north of 35°00’ N and west of a line extending due north from 35°00’ N and 42°00’ W to 59°00’ N, from there due west to 44°00’ W, and then due north to the Greenland coast;
The Gulf of St Lawrence, Davis Strait and Baffin Bay south of 78°10’ N.

The convention area is divided into scientific and statistical subareas, divisions and subdivisions, as defined in Annex I.

Organisation

Contracting parties agree to establish, maintain and strengthen the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), originally founded in 1979, which comprises the following bodies, supported by a Secretariat, to which contracting parties each appoint one representative (with alternates, experts and advisers).

A Commission responsible for supervising and coordinating internal affairs and external relations, including:
- assessing the impact of fishing and other human activities on living resources and their ecosystems;
- developing guidelines on conducting fishing activities for scientific purposes;
- developing guidelines for the access to and use of data; and
- conservation and management measures to minimise the impact of fishing on living resources and ecosystems.

A Scientific Council – a forum for consultation, cooperation and the exchange of scientific information and views, including:
- appraising the status of fishery resources, including the environmental and ecological factors affecting them;
- promoting cooperation in scientific research among the parties to fill gaps in scientific knowledge;
- compiling and maintaining statistics and records;
- publishing or sharing reports, information and materials on fishing activities and their ecosystems; and
- providing scientific advice to the NAFO Commission as required.

Duties of contracting parties

Each party must:

implement the convention and any other binding obligation, with regular reports on steps taken to comply;
collect and share scientific and statistical data, including information on commercial catches and fishing effort;
carry out biological sampling on commercial catches;
provide timely information to the NAFO Commission and Scientific Council;
ensure that its nationals and fishing vessels comply with the convention and any measures adopted by the NAFO Commission;
investigate and report promptly on measures it takes in response to alleged serious infringement by its nationals or their vessels, and ensure that enforcement measures are taken without delay;
maintain and share fishing vessel records;
ensure that fishing vessels entitled to fly its flag:
- comply with conservation measures and do not undermine their effectiveness,
- do not conduct unauthorised fishing;
implement measures on port inspections if applicable.

Dispute settlement

An ad hoc three-member panel is convened to settle disputes, chosen from a pool of experts nominated by the contracting parties to the convention. Each party to the dispute selects one panellist and agrees on the selection of the third.

Amendments to the convention

The convention has been amended four times to modernise NAFO, particularly by incorporating an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. The amendments have also streamlined NAFO’s decision-making process, strengthened the obligations of contracting parties and instituted a strengthened formal dispute settlement mechanism.

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

The convention entered into force on 17 March 1982.
The amended convention entered into force on 18 May 2017.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

NAFO (European Fisheries Control Agency).

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Convention on future Multilateral Cooperation in the North-West Atlantic fisheries (OJ L 378, 30.12.1978, pp. 2–29).

Successive amendments to the Convention have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Council Regulation (EEC) No 3179/78 of 28 December 1978 concerning the conclusion by the European Economic Community of the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (OJ L 378, 30.12.1978, p. 1).

Council Decision 2010/717/EU of 8 November 2010 on the approval, on behalf of the European Union, of the Amendment to the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (OJ L 321, 7.12.2010, pp. 1–19).

last update 03.10.2022

Góra