EBSA : DESCRIBING AREAS MEETING SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA FOR ECOLOGICALLY OR BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT MARINE AREAS (EBSAs)

Transcription

1 Convention on Biological Diversity EBSA : DESCRIBING AREAS MEETING SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA FOR ECOLOGICALLY OR BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT MARINE AREAS (EBSAs) Charles Besacnon and Jihyun Lee Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

2 WSSD Plan of Implementation In accordance with chapter 17 of Agenda 21, promote the conservation and management of the oceans through actions at all levels, to: (a) Maintain the productivity and biodiversity of important and vulnerable marine and coastal areas, including in areas within and beyond national jurisdiction; [ ] (c) Develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools, including the ecosystem approach, the elimination of destructive fishing practices, the establishment of marine protected areas consistent with international law and based on scientific information, including representative networks by 2012 and time/area closures for the protection of nursery grounds and periods, proper coastal land use and watershed planning and the integration of marine and coastal areas management into key sectors;

3 CBD COP 10 (2010) guidance on EBSAs (decision X/29) COP 10 noted the application of scientific criteria for identifying EBSAs, adopted by COP in decision IX/20 (annex I), presents a tool,,,,,towards implementation of ecosystem approaches in relation to areas both within and beyond national jurisdiction COP 10 noted : the application of EBSAs scientific criteria is a scientific and technical exercise that areas found to meet the criteria may require enhanced conservation and management measures, including MPAs and impact assessments EASAs identification and selection of conservation and management measures is a matter of States and competent intergovernmental organizations

4 CBD scientific criteria for ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSAs) (annex I, decision IX/20) 1. Uniqueness or Rarity 2. Special importance for life history stages of species 3. Importance for threatened, endangered or declining species and/or habitats 4. Vulnerability, Fragility, Sensitivity, or Slow recovery 5. Biological Productivity 6. Biological Diversity 7. Naturalness FAO criteria for VMEs Uniqueness or rarity Functional significance of the habitat Fragility Life-history traits of component species Structural complexity

5 COP 10 guidance on EBSAs (decision X/29, para 36) COP 10 requested Executive Secretary to: work with Parties and other Governments as well as competent organizations and regional initiatives, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), regional seas conventions and action plans, and, where appropriate, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), with regards to fisheries management, to organize a series of regional workshops to facilitate the description of EBSAs through the application of scientific criteria (annex I to decision IX/20) and other relevant criteria

6 COP 10 guidance on EBSAs (decision X/29, para 42) COP 10 requested SBSTTA to prepare reports based on scientific and technical evaluation of information from the workshops, setting out details of areas that meet the criteria in annex I to decision IX/20 for consideration and endorsement in a transparent manner by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention with a view to include the endorsed reports in the repository and to submit them to the United Nations General Assembly and particularly its Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction

7 COP 10: EBSAs Process Report on EBSAs Recommended by SBSTTA Report on EBSAs Compiled from Regional Workshop CBD COP SBSTTA CBD Secretariat : EBSAs Repository and Information Sharing Mechanism EBSAs Data / Capacity Gap Long-term Research and Capacity Development Plan UN GA/Ad Hoc Openended WG Report on EBSAs endorsed by COP UNDOALOS, FAO, ISA, IMO, UNEP CBD Scientific Partners : WCMC, GOBI, OBIS RSOs/ RFMOs Regional Workshop Regional Workshop Regional Workshop

8 Ocean area covered by CBD EBSA regional workshops as well as relevant regional EBSA processes: million sq.km (about 58% of total estimated ocean area, 335 million sq.km) OSPAR: 13.5 m MAP: 2.5 m SPREP: 60.6 m CAR: 27.8 m SIO: 50.9 m ETTP: 40.2 m Dotted line indicates future confirmed workshops

9 Submissions of scientific information on potential areas meeting EBSA criteria Workshop Expert Discussion on the description of areas meeting EBSA criteria at sub-regional groups Collection, Compilation, Analysis, Synthesis and Mapping of relevant scientific data & information Brazil s national preparatory process: Involving more than 50 scientists for the compilation of scientific data to describe areas meeting EBSAs criteria Workshop Plenary Discussion and Adoption of the description of areas meeting EBSAs criteria Post-workshop report editing and strengthening of scientific information on areas description CBD Secretariat s Technical support team in partnership with Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, OBIS, UNEP/CEP, and various other global and regional partners Final report

10 Compilation of scientific data & information Data compilation and collection Overlay & Analysis Synthesis and Mapping Data to inform the CBD Workshop to Facilitate the Description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas in the Wider Caribbean and Western Mid-Atlantic Patrick Halpin, Jesse Cleary, Corrie Curtice, Ben Donnelly February 20, 2012 Prepared for the Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity (SCBD) ~40 GIS data layers of biogeography, biological and physical data

11 EBSA Decisions from CBD COP 11 in Hyderabad, India, October 2012 Takes note of the Mediterranean Synthesis Report and its conclusion regarding the continuation of the work in close cooperation with Mediterranean countries and relevant organizations, in order to finalize the description of areas that meet the criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas in the Mediterranean region

12 EBSA Decisions from CBD COP 11 in Hyderabad, India, October 2012 requests the Executive Secretary to include the summary reports on the description of areas that meet the criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas contained in the annex to this decision, in the repository, as referred to in decision X/29 and this decision, and, to submit them to the United Nations General Assembly and particularly its Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to Study Issues Relating to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond Areas of National Jurisdiction,, and further requests the Executive Secretary to submit them to the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole on the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment

13 EBSA Decisions from CBD COP 11 in Hyderabad, India, October 2012 Takes note of the particular need for a regional workshop to be organized in the Mediterranean region in order to finalize the description of areas that meet the criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas in time for its report to be considered by a meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice prior to the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

14 EBSA Decisions from CBD COP 11 in Hyderabad, India, October 2012 Requests the Executive Secretary to further develop, subject to availability of financial resources, the prototype [EBSA] repository and the information-sharing mechanism into a fully functional repository and information-sharing mechanism so that they can fully serve the purpose called for in paragraph 39 of decision X/29, in collaboration with Parties, other Governments,

15 What s next 1. RAC/SPA to inventory available data and update with national authorities and NGOs, etc. 2. RAC/SPA to coordinate with CBD and national authorities of Mediterranean countries for a common organisation of the regional meeting to refine the EBSA proposals for the region a. Hopefully in the first half of the year 3. Workshop report submission to CBD SBSTTA 4. Submission to SPA Focal Points 5. Submission to respective COPs 6. On to UNGA