UN Law of Sea Tribunal extends deadline in case of Chile v. European Community

In a case concerning fishing that pits Chile against the European Community, the United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea today announced that it is extending the deadline on the proceedings for two years, through 1 January 2008.

The case was submitted to a special chamber of the Tribunal at the request of both parties in December 2000. At issue is whether the European Community has complied with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to ensure the conservation of swordfish in the fishing activities undertaken by vessels flying the flag of its Member States in the high seas adjacent to Chile’s exclusive economic zone.

The court will also consider whether a Chilean decree which purports to apply Chile’s conservation measures to swordfish on the high seas is in breach of the Convention, and whether a related accord, known as the “Galapagos Agreement,” was negotiated in keeping with the provisions of the Convention.

Based in Hamburg, Germany, the Tribunal was established to deal with disputes arising from the application of the Convention, which was adopted in 1982 and entered into force a dozen years later.