A/RES/53/33 Page 2 Noting that the secretariat of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stated that 60 to 70 per cent of world fisheries are either fully exploited or overfished, and encouraging, in this regard, the current intergovernmental negotiating process at that organization to address the issue of fishing overcapacity, Noting with concern the reports of continued loss of sea birds, particularly albatross, as a result of incidental mortality from long-line fishing operations, and the loss of other marine species, including sharks and fin-fish species, as a result of incidental mortality, Conscious of the need to promote and facilitate international cooperation, especially at the regional and subregional levels, in order to ensure the sustainable development and use of the living marine resources of the world’s oceans and seas, consistent with the present resolution and with the duties of States to cooperate in the conservation and management of marine living resources, in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,2 Once again expressing concern at the impact of large-scale drift-net fishing on the marine living resources of the oceans and seas, and noting that there are continuing reports of activities inconsistent with the terms of resolution 46/215, Concerned also to ensure that the implementation of resolution 46/215 in some parts of the world does not result in the transfer to other parts of the world of drift-nets that contravene the resolution, Expressing concern at the detrimental impact of unauthorized fishing in areas under national jurisdiction on the sustainable development of the world’s fishery resources and on the food security and economies of many States, particularly developing States, and the continuing reports of unauthorized fishing activities, inconsistent with the terms of resolution 49/116, in zones of national jurisdiction, Recalling that, pursuant to a proposal made at the twenty-second session of the Committee on Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in March 1997, that organization agreed to organize an expert consultation to develop and propose guidelines leading to a plan of action aiming at a reduction in the incidental catch of sea birds, to organize an expert consultation to develop and propose guidelines leading to a plan of action for the conservation and effective management of shark populations, and to hold a technical consultation on the management of fishing capacity to draft guidelines for the control and management of fishing capacities, Noting with satisfaction that the Consultation on Management of Fishing Capacity, Shark Fisheries and the Incidental Catch of Sea Birds, held from 26 to 30 October 1998, and its preparatory meeting, held in July 1998, produced draft plans of action or elements thereof for approval at the February 1999 meeting of the Committee on Fisheries, Recognizing the importance of the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks3 and the Agreement to Promote 2 Official Records of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, vol. XVII (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.84.V.3), document A/CONF.62/122. 3 A/CONF.164/37; see also A/50/550, annex I. /...