Regional Fisheries Panel Introductory Remarks

East and South China Seas have been extremely productive areas for fisheries. Influenced by warm currents, the East China Sea has been classified as a "Class One", highly productive ecosystem. Articles 63 and 64 of the Law of the Sea Convention explicitly call for cooperation among coastal States and entities, either directly or through appropriate sub-regional or regional organizations. The author highlights a recent successful example of international cooperation creating a system to conserve and manage highly-migratory stocks in the Pacific, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention (WCPFC). The seven-party agreement signed in connection with the UNEP program in the South China Sea is an important step toward broader international cooperation. In an area other than fisheries, but a very current and important area, many nations in the Asia-Pacific Region are working together as part of the Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI). Keywords: ecosystem; regional fisheries panel; South China seas; UNEP program; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention (WCPFC)