Foreword

Deep Sea 2003 was a response to the increasing exploitation of high-seas deepwater fisheries and the need to identify effective means of regulation to protect those fisheries and their environment. Technological development and market demand has both exacerbated these problems while increasing the opportunity and desire to exploit deepwater fisheries at increasingly unsustainable levels.

Experts from 36 countries and all disciplines and interests, including commerce, government, science and environmental groups, from national and international organizations contributed their expertise. Discussions were free-ranging and considered deep-sea management problems and solutions without being limited by the need to agree on a single formal conference declaration.

Participants defined clear outcomes as the basis for future deliberations on effective governance arrangements that could be successfully implemented in deep-sea areas. The breadth of these outcomes reinforces the complexity of the Deep Sea 2003 undertaking and the task ahead for all those involved, or interested, in deep-sea fishing.

These Proceedings provides the presentations, papers and discussions and many of the papers supporting posters presented at Deep Sea 2003. They identify the future actions required, both at the national and international level, based on the problems that characterize the management of existing deep-sea fisheries. It has been prepared by the enormous efforts of Dr Ross Shotton of FAO.

The organizers are most grateful to the sponsorship received from organizations representing all disciplines and companies and departments who permitted their staff to provide time and effort in support of the various Deep Sea 2003 organizing committees as well as the four Workshops held prior to the main conference.

John Annala
Conference Convener
Ministry of Fisheries
Wellington, New Zealand^[1]