International Regime Theory and the Law of Sea. A Study of Fisheries on the High Seas

The oceans support economic activities on a vast scale and their fisheries resources need to be rehabilitated and protected in order to ensure long-term productivity. Sound fishery governance, cooperation and capacity to implement management measures are necessary in developing as well as developed countries. The actuality of this research work on international regime theory and the law of the sea, referred to fisheries on the high seas, lies on two main developments in the international arena: first, the increasing of share of catches outside fishing zones under jurisdiction of coastal States; and second, the progress on economic governance research and the organization of cooperation concerning the global commons. As a consequence, there are growing international concerns regarding the need of safeguarding the livelihoods of fishers and the sustainability of both commercial catches and the aquatic ecosystems from which they are extracted. The major purpose of this work is to analyse the recent developments on international fisheries and to explain why a new environmental regime for fisheries on the high seas is emerging, considering the way in which the regime will operate as a social institution able to influence the behaviour of States and their subjects, as well as other actors in order to address the complex problems of international fisheries conservation and management.