The sustainable use of marine resources as a principle of international law

This article is devoted to the examination of one of the most important measures designed in order to protect marine living resources population, which is the principle of sustainable use of marine resources. The concept of sustainable development is especially relevant for the marine living resources conservation, as at the present moment the international community is faced with the problem of their gradual depletion. Despite this fact, there is no unanimity in the scientific community on the issue of whether the sustainable use should be considered as an independent principle of international environmental law or not. Author comes to the conclusion that the sustainable use of marine resources should not be reduced to the method of fisheries management, since only the status of international legal principle may ensure the achievement of sustainable development.