2022 has been declared as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture by United Nations General Assembly. According to United Nations Environment Programme, ‘aquaculture’ means the cultivation and harvest of freshwater or marine animals and plants, in ponds, tanks, cages or on protected beds. It employs the use of artificial means to increase the production of aquatic organisms in fresh or salt water. Whereas, artisanal fisheries are traditional fisheries involving fishing households (as opposed to commercial companies), using relatively small amount of capital and energy, relatively small fishing vessels (if any), making short fishing trips, close to shore, mainly for local consumption. IUU Fishing, on the other hand refers to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing that could possibly be associated with organized crimes.
The oceans which are the largest ecosystem on the planet, hosting thousands of flora and fauna species, are also used by human beings for voyage, food, energy and resources, and even adventure and knowledge. Today, the rich and thriving oceans are dying, not only because of marine pollution, but also because of aquaculture and IUU fishing. Various studies reveal that the current over-fishing trends which result in the exploitation and depletion of fisheries, reveal that oceans will become empty by 2050. This exploitative trend is accelerated by government subsidies for fishing and fuel, non-publication of relevant data and lack of a strict regulatory framework.
Commercial fishing causing environmental pollution and creating an imbalance in the aquatic ecosystem, artificial eutrophication, ingestion of micro-plastics by marine life, the resulting impact on human beings who consume marine food, abuse of human rights of people working in the fishing industry (in the form of human trafficking, forced labour, slavery, insufficient food and water, filthy living conditions, physical and sexual assaults, and manslaughters), discarding the additional catch, abandoning ghost nets, use of trawlers, power politics between developed and developing nations, are a few of the many concerns associated with the IUU Fishing and Aquaculture Industry. Thus, it is high time the legal fraternity questions if aquaculture and IUU Fishing are a boon or a bane, especially in the touchstone of the legal framework – national and international.
For furthering the idea mentioned in the Concept note above, the CPGLS would be organizing the “International Seminar On Environment, Trade And Health: Vicissitudes Of Marine Fishing & Legal Conundrums”. The Seminar aims at exploring the concerns associated with the central theme in the light of disciplines like Environmental Law, Constitutional Law, International Trade Law and Public Health Law.
The Seminar would inter alia explore topics identified as sub-themes below:
- Commercial fishing and existing international law framework
- WTO and Fish-Trade
- International Legal Regulation of the Fishing Industry
- Aquaculture and its trading possibilities
- Health issues relating to commercial fishing
- IUU fishing and threats due to use of fish as medicine
- Health issues involved in Aquaculture
- Commercial fishing vs. Right to healthy environment
- Constitutional rights of Fishermen
- Scope of aquaculture under Constitutional provision
- Dimensions of Indian Constitution in regulating IUU fishing.
- The compatibility of Indian laws in international legal regime regarding fishing
NB: The given sub-themes are only indicative and not exhaustive. Papers submissions are not limited to the broad sub themes mentioned above.