NAFO is an intergovernmental fisheries science and management body, which was founded in 1979 as a successor to the International Commission of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (1949-1978). The NAFO Convention on Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries applies to most fishery resources of the Northwest Atlantic except salmon, tunas/marlins, whales, and sedentary species (e.g. shellfish). NAFO has 12 Contracting Parties i.e. Canada, Cuba, Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland), the European Union, France (in respect of St. Pierre and Miquelon), Iceland, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the United States of America.

The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) is the RFMO for the North East Atlantic. The area stretches from the southern tip of Greenland, east to the Barents Sea, and south to Portugal. Its objective is the long-term conservation and optimum utilisation of the fishery resources in the Convention Area. There are 5 contracting partners, Denmark (for Faroe Islands and Greenland), the European Union, Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation, with 6 cooperating Non-Contracting parties, Bahamas, Canada, Curacao, Liberia, New Zealand and Panama.

On 17 October 1990, Portugal, France, Morocco, Spain and the European Community signed the Lisbon Agreement, which is essentially a mechanism to ensure cooperation between the Contracting Parties in the event of a pollution incident. Such a pollution incident is a discharge or danger of a discharge of hydrocarbons or other harmful substances, which has occasioned or may occasion damage to the marine environment, the coast or the related interests of one or more of the Parties, and requiring emergency action or an immediate reaction. The Agreement establish the obligation on the Contracting Parties to create their own intervention agencies and to set their own national plans of action. An International Centre, located in Portugal, is assisting the Parties to react swiftly and effectively to pollution incidents.

The Convention for the Conservation of Salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean (1983) created the intergovernmental organization NASCO (North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization) with the objective to conserve, restore, enhance and rationally manage wild Atlantic salmon. It created a large, protected zone, free of fisheries targeting Atlantic salmon in most areas beyond 12 nm from the coast. NASCO has six Parties: Canada, Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands & Greenland), the European Union, Norway, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. France (in respect of St.Pierre & Miquelon) attends as an observer. Iceland withdrew in 2009.

The Council of the Baltic Sea States is an overall political forum for regional cooperation. Consisting of 11 Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia & Sweden), as well as a representative of the European Union, it supports a global perspective on regional problems. The Council of the Baltic Sea States functions as a coordinator of a multitude of regional actors in the areas of its three long-term priorities: Regional Identity, Sustainable & Prosperous Region, and Safe & Secure Region. Set up in 1992 to ease the transition to a new international landscape, the organisation today focuses on themes such as societal security, sustainability, research & innovation, as well as countering human trafficking.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established by international convention in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life. This was in response to increasing commercial interest in Antarctic krill resources, a keystone component of the Antarctic ecosystem and a history of over-exploitation of several other marine resources in the Southern Ocean. CCAMLR is an international commission with 26 Members, and a further 10 countries have acceded to the Convention. Based on the best available scientific information, the Commission agrees a set of conservation measures that determine the use of marine living resources in the Antarctic.

The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for the management of southern bluefin tuna throughout its distribution. The CCSBT's main objective is to ensure, through appropriate management, the conservation and optimum utilisation of the global Southern Bluefin Tuna fishery. The Commission also provides an internationally recognised forum in which other countries and entities can actively participate in Southern Bluefin Tuna issues. Members of the Extended Commission comprise of Australia, the European Union, the Fishing Entity of Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and South Africa.

The Bonn Agreement is the mechanism by which ten Governments, together with the European Union, cooperate in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances. The signatories to the Agreement are the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the European Union. Spain joined as a Contracting Party in 2019.

The Barcelona Convention aims to address in a holistic manner all sources of pollution, which may threaten the marine environment of the Mediterranean and its coastal areas. In particular, the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Preventing Pollution from Ships and, in Cases of Emergency, Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea is the legal framework within which regional cooperation in the fields of prevention of and response to marine pollution from ships is developing. A regional strategy aims to improve the follow-up of pollution events and monitoring/surveillance of illicit discharges. The 22 Contracting Parties are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the EU.

BALTFISH was initiated in 2009 as a flagship project within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSBSR. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in December 2013 by the ministers in the eight member states in the Baltic Sea Region, and thus changing the status of BALTFISH from a flagship project to a permanent fisheries forum. BALTFISH works on two levels. There is a high-level group (HLG) composed of the Member States fisheries directors and invited officials from the European Commission. There is also the BALTFISH Forum Seminar composed of representatives from Member States, the European Commission and the Baltic Sea Advisory Council as well as representatives from other relevant stakeholders in the Baltic Sea fisheries.

The Baltic Sea Region Border Control Cooperation (BSRBCC) is a flexible regional tool for daily inter-agency interaction in the field of environmental protection. It also aims to combat cross-border crime in the Baltic Sea region, with a particular focus on the maritime environment. Cooperation Partners are Police, Border Guards, Coast Guards and Customs Authorities. The BSRBCC Border Guard Chiefs meet annually and is responsible for the cooperation initiative, and approving the operational strategy. It also has an operational and economic mandate for cooperation. The BSRBCC presidency, which is for one year, is supported by a secretariat, which includes representatives from the last, current and next Presidency, thereby ensuring continuity. The Baltic Border Committee (BBC) prepares and implements the cooperation strategy through joint operations, where national representatives integrate national action and local cooperation into wider cooperation as necessary. Each MS operates a 24/7 National Coordination Centre (NCC), whilst the Presidency maintains an International Coordination Centre (ICC).

HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – Helsinki Commission) is the governing body of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, known as the Helsinki Convention. The Contracting Parties are Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden. HELCOM was established about four decades ago to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental cooperation. Its vision for the future is a healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities. It also includes cooperation mechanisms for fisheries and navigation safety.