Declaration On The Conservation Of Fish Stocks And On Maritime Jurisdiction Around The Falkland Islands Of 29 October 1986
Source: Unofficial
In order to create the necessary conditions for ensuring conservation of the fish stocks around the Falkland Islands, the British government hereby declares that:
The Falkland Islands are entitled under international law to fishery limits of a maximum of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
The maximum extent of these limits is also subject to the need for a boundary with Argentina in areas where arcs of 200 nautical miles from Argentina and the Falkland Islands overlap. In the absence of any agreement, the British Government hereby declares that:
The boundary is that prescribed by the rules of international law concerning the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction.
This Declaration of limits is effective immediately.
Within these limits, legislative measures will be taken shortly in the Falkland Islands to ensure the conservation and management of living resources in accordance with international law. Such measures will be intended to ensure conservation of the stocks on an interim basis pending internationally agreed arrangements for the South West Atlantic Fishery as a whole, and taking into account the best scientific evidence.
These measures will apply to a zone known as the Falkland Islands Interim Conservation and Management Zone (FICZ). The limits of the FICZ will be defined in the legislation and the effective date of the measures will be made known well in advance.
Approaches will be made as a matter of urgency to the States fishing around the Falklands, as well as to the Commission of the European Communities, about arrangements for the next fishing season, commencing 1 February 1987.
The British Government has also given consideration to the related question of the continental shelf around the Falkland Islands in the light of the present state of international law, according to which rights to the continental shelf are inherent. The British Government hereby declares for the avoidance of doubt that:
The continental shelf around the Falkland Islands extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the territorial sea of the Falkland Islands is measures or to such other limit as is prescribed by the rules of international law, including those concerning the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction between neighbours.
It will be for the authorities in the Falkland Islands to take legislative measures in order to implement this Declaration.
