Precautionary Approach
D4. Fisheries, aquaculture, blue economy and marine resourcesDefinition
Management approach erring on the side of caution when data are limited.
The precautionary approach requires managers to act conservatively when scientific information is uncertain, rather than treating uncertainty as a reason to delay protection. In fisheries it is codified in Article 6 of the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the FAO Code of Conduct, translating into precautionary reference points that buffer against assessment error and stock collapse. It underpins data-limited harvest-control rules and the burden-shifting logic that a fishery must show it is sustainable before expanding.
Source: UN Fish Stocks Agreement Art. 6