The Pew Charitable Trusts on behalf of High Seas Alliance Measures Such as Area Based Management Tools including Marine Protected Areas
Intervention Day 3
IGC2 – 27 March 2019
Agenda Item 6
4.3 Process
4.3.1 Identification of Areas
Thank you Madam Facilitator and good afternoon delegates. I deliver these remarks as the Pew Charitable Trusts on behalf of the over 40 member groups of the High Seas Alliance. Given this the first time I am taking the floor, I would like to say it’s good to see you again leading this discussion.
For the identification of areas 4.3.1, the HSA recommends that areas are identified in proposals based on the best available scientific information and, where available, traditional knowledge towards the achievement of conservation objectives for ABNJ. As such we recommend no text in relation to the development of specific criteria under the new Agreement. Instead, the example formulation provided by Belize on behalf of CARICOM with regard to economic and social factors that speaks to the objective of that criteria, we think, provides a useful way to capture the intent here.
Our recommendation is based on established practice in other international bodies, such as the CCAMLR General Framework for the Establishment of Marine Protected Areas. We will further elaborate on this when we take up the discussion of Objectives under 4.1.
If there are to be criteria listed, we agree with the European Union & Argentina on behalf of the Like-minded Latin American countries, Monaco, and others that they should be elaborated and clearly referred to as an indicative list in the Agreement to make it clear that not all criteria would need to be met, as indicated by Monaco, Cameroon, Switzerland, Australia and others. We also support the suggestion by the Like-minded Latin American countries and Australia that criteria should only be reviewed when necessary.
Thank you Madam Facilitator