Society’s awakening to environmental problems concerning the oceans and coastal zones has lead to the development of certain principles for the protection of maritime environments and their resources. Of particular importance to this thesis is the concept of responsible fishing, which necessitates strict control over fisheries activity in order to limit its impact on maritime resources and the accompanying ecosystems. Globalization of resources and global resource shortages has made it increasingly difficult to reach a consensus concerning complex and urgent questions concerning their management. One such question is: when does an international organization have the capacity to put in place strong and effective measures in zones which lie beyond the jurisdiction of any given nation? It is therefore important to investigate the role of international actors within the context of management of maritime resources. The objective of this thesis is to examine to what extent the powers conferred to the European Union concerning fisheries management enable it to successfully apply the concept of responsible fishing for the protection of global fisheries resources.
