A Historical Investigation Of Tuna Treaty Between Pacific Island States And The United States

In the 1980 s,the different position about the coastal state jurisdiction of tuna and other highly migratory species in the exclusive economic zone between the United States and Pacific Island States,the convening of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and the ambiguity of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea1982,have led to the “Tuna War” in the South Pacific.The “Tuna War” led to negotiations between the United States and the South Pacific over tuna.During the period,the Pacific Island States were organized by the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Bureau,using the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as a weapon,and used the special situation of the US-Soviet Cold War and other major powers flexibly to check and balance the United States,and negotiated with the United States actively through multilateral and regional cooperation.In April 1987,the two sides signed the Tuna Treaty.The signing of the treaty marked a new stage in Pacific Island States’ tuna management over the United States.In December 2007,the Palau Arrangement implemented the Vessel Day Scheme.The implementation of this system enabled Pacific Island States to gain the initiative in fishery management.During this period,the fixed fees stipulated in the Tuna Treaty and restrictions on Pacific Island States to amend laws gradually became unsuitable.The willingness of Pacific Island States to amend their laws gradually did not adapt to the development wishes of the Pacific Island States,and the fishery development between the Pacific Island States and the United States was difficult.To ensure the continuation of cooperation,the Pacific Island States and the United States renewed negotiations on the renewal of the treaty in 2009.After many negotiations,the two parties finally successfully renewed their contract in November 2016.The newly concluded treaty places the fishing activities of American fishing ships under the management of the Vessel Day Scheme.This practice not only maintains the rights of Pacific Island States to manage and protect tuna resources,but also promotes the further development of cooperation between Pacific Island States and the United States.The Tuna Treaty established the dominant position of Pacific Island States in the South Pacific fisheries.It has not only become a prerequisite and guarantee for Pacific Island States and the United States to deepen fisheries cooperation,but the many tools and systems it contains are a reference for Pacific island countries to manage fishery resources.It can be seen from Tuna Treaty that Pacific Island States mainly manage their fisheries through regional fisheries organizations.Although they are weak,they can rely on external forces such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the U.S.-Soviet confrontation to strive for benefits.