Abstract

Fish aggregating devices (FADs) are widely used in artisanal fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea and in tropical tuna fisheries. Thousands of FADs are lost or abandoned each year, with many causing environmental damage. This article examines whether such loss or abandonment contravenes international marine pollution law. It finds that abandonment probably constitutes “dumping” within the meaning of the international dumping regime and thus, depending on the material of which a FAD is made, is either prohibited or subject to a permit system, and that the nonaccidental loss of a FAD breaches Annex V of MARPOL. The article also considers what action may be taken against the flag states of vessels that have abandoned or lost FADs.

摘要

鱼类聚集装置（FAD）广泛用于地中海的手工渔业和热带金枪鱼渔业。每年有成千上万的FAD丢失或废弃，其中许多对环境造成破坏。本文研究了这种损失或遗弃是否违反了国际海洋污染法。它发现，在国际倾销制度的含义内，放弃可能构成“倾销”，因此，根据构成FAD的材料，禁止倾销或受到许可制度的约束，并且FAD的非偶然损失违反了MARPOL附则V。该文章还考虑了对已弃置或丢失FAD的船旗国采取何种措施。