The Impact of Globalisation on the Development of International Fisheries Law

As the starting point, this paper introduces the development of globalisation and the evolution of the international legal order and then discusses the interaction between the two. The article then explores the impact of the “concept” and “practice” of globalisation on the evolution of the international fisheries’ legal system by taking “sustainable development” and “international trade” as the probes to gain a practical understanding of the protection and conservation of high seas fisheries’ resources. The authors argued that the international law of the sea is an ever-renewing legal system, especially in the regulation of conserving and managing high seas fisheries resources, which has undergone tremendous and drastic changes in recent decades due to the development of global trade, the strengthening of environmental issues, and the flourishing of international organisations. Obviously, globalisation is an important and fundamental driving force behind it. The authors presented findings by observing the changes in international fisheries law during the two decades between the signing of the UNCLOS and the completion of the IPOA-IUU.