Definition of Straddling Fish Stocks

Fish populations that migrate between the boundaries of international and domestic waters are known as straddling fish stocks. These populations are considered highly migratory species under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and include transboundary stocks.

  1. Geography

    • The domestic waters over which a country has special rights to exploit marine resources are called economic exclusive zones (EEZs). Straddling stocks can occur between the EEZs of two or more countries (also called transboundary stocks) or between the EEZs of one or more countries and international waters.

    Features

    • Straddling stocks can migrate great distances for feeding and reproduction and thus have wide geographic distributions. They are normally pelagic, meaning that they live in the open ocean and not the sea floor.

    Types

    • The UNCLOS lists the following as highly migratory species: tuna and tuna-like species, pomfret, marlin, sailfish, swordfish, saury and oceangoing sharks, dolphins and other cetaceans. Capelin, herring, whiting, mackerel and redfish are examples of pelagic species.

    Significance

    • Straddling fish stocks are of economic and environmental importance to a number of nations. Neighboring coastal states are required to collaborate with each other and external fishing entities to regulate and coordinate the management of straddling stocks.

    Considerations

    • Straddling fish stocks are especially vulnerable to exploitation. The Straddling Fish Stocks Agreement created by the United Nations seeks to manage this threat and ensure the long-term sustainability of straddling stocks. It was drafted in 1995 and came into force in 2001.