B. International Convention for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries^ ' 



1. Objectives 



The purpose of the Convention (ICNAF) is to investigate, protect and conserve the stocks of the 

 species of fish which support international fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean "in order to make 

 possible the maintenance of a maximum sustained catch from those fisheries."^ ^ 



The members of ICNAF are Canada, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Iceland, Italy, 

 Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Spain, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and the United States. 



2. Administrative Organization and Powers 



The Convention requires the States Parties to establish and maintain an International Conmiission for 

 the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries.^ ^ Each State Party appoints not more than three Commissioners and 

 one or more experts or advisers to assist its Commissioners.'''' The Commission elects a Chairman and 

 Vice Chairman from its members and appoints an Executive Secretary who, in turn, appoints the 

 staff.'' Each State Party has one vote and the Commission's decisions are taken by a two-thirds 

 majority of the votes of all the State Parties.^ * 



The geographical area encompassed by the Convention is divided into five sub-areas and a panel of the 

 States Parties is estabhshed and maintained for each of the sub-areas with authority to make 

 recommendations to the Commission and the duty to investigate and report to the Commission upon 

 any matter referred to it.' ^ 



The Commission is empowered to determine representation on each panel on the basis of "current 

 substantial exploitation in the sub-area concerned of fishes of the cod groups . . . , of flat-fishes . . . , and 

 of roseflsh," but the State Party "with coastlines adjacent to a sub-area shall have the right of 

 representation on the panel for the sub-area."'* The panel reaches its decisions like the Commission." 



In the field of scientific investigation, the Commission is responsible for "obtaining and collating the 

 information necessary for maintaining those stocks of fish which support international fisheries in the 

 Convention area.""" To this end, it may: 



a. make such investigations as it finds necessary into the abundance, life history and ecology of any 

 species of aquatic life in any part of the Northwest A tlantic Ocean; 



3 1 



The Convention was signed at Washington, D.C., February 8, 1949, ratified September 1, 1949 and entered into 

 force for the United States, July 3, 1950, 1 U.S.T. 477; T.I.A.S. No. 2089; 157 U.N.T.S. 157. The Convention has been 

 supplemented by a Declaration of Understanding and several protocols which may be found in a handbook issued 

 periodically by the Commission. 



32 



Convention, Preamble. 

 "m. Art. II (1). 

 '"/d, Art. II (2). 

 '^/d., Art. II (3), Art. III. 

 '*/d., Art. II (7). 



37 



Id., Art. I (3), Art. IV, Art. VII. Panel 1 is concerned with the fisheries in sub-area 1, off west Greenland; Panel 2 

 with the fisheries in sub-area 2, off Labrador; Panel 3 with sub-area 3, off the south and east of Newfoundland and on 

 the Grand Bank; Panel 4 with sub-area 4, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the Nova Scotia Banks; Panel 5, in the 

 Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank. 



The commission has a sixth panel. Panel A, which is concerned with the harp and hood seal fisheries in the 

 convention area. A Protocol to the Convention to bring the harp and hood seals of the northwest Atlantic area under 

 the provisions of the Convention has become effective. The Protocol was signed at Washington, July 15, 1963. 1 U.S.T. 

 477, T.I.A.S. No. 2089. 



Although the United States does not participate in the exploitation of the seals, it will have a right to representation 

 on Panel A because its coastUne is adjacent to the Convention area. 



'*/d., Art. IV (2). 



"W., Art. IV (4). 



""W., Art. VI (1). 



VIII-108 



