Workshop on Linking global and regional levels in the management of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction
Organized by FAO, GEG and the Global Ocean Forum (GOF) in Rome, 17-20/02/2015. In Session 2, Achieving sustainable fisheries in ABNJ, S. Garcia was asked to make a presentation on EAF in ABNJ: How far have we come?
Background:
The marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), which comprise 64% of the oceans’ surface, contain ecosystems with marine resources and biodiversity of great ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural importance. The ecosystems in the ABNJ include the water column and seabed of the high seas, and are located far from coastal areas, making the sustainable management of fisheries and biodiversity conservation in these areas challenging. Issues related to ABNJ have risen to the top of the global ocean agenda, and are being discussed at the highest governmental levels. There is widespread agreement on the need to improve conservation of marine ecosystems and sustainable use of resources in ABNJ at both global and regional levels. In various ABNJ regions of the world, such as the Northeast Atlantic, the Sargasso Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Islands, important initiatives are underway to adapt existing regional institutional processes to move toward ecosystem-based management of ABNJ and to implement tools such as multiple-use area-based management and environmental impact assessment. This workshop will foster an open and constructive policy dialogue for supporting national, regional, and global processes in place (formal and informal) in enhancing ecosystem approaches to the management of ABNJ.