Page 4 - AWA Vol. 42-No.2 issue

Convention on Marine Biodiversity

The Convention on Marine Biodiversity (CBD) en- surface area. Regional fisheries management organi-
tered into force this month under the United Nations zations have established binding rules for managing
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the fishing in many areas outside national jurisdiction.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na- These rules include monitoring and surveillance sys-
tions (FAO) welcomed the move. tems, science-based fishing limits, rules for allocation
After two decades of negotiations, the Convention and bycatch, and, where necessary, closures to reduce
on Marine Biodiversity (CBD), which has been signed pressure on marine resources.
by 145 countries and 81 parties, entered into force on Parang noted that these organizations possess de-
January 17, 2026. It is a legally binding global treaty cades of experience in managing and conserving ma-
that aims to ensure the sustainable use and conserva- rine biodiversity and will be crucial to the success of
tion of biodiversity in marine areas outside national the agreement on areas outside national jurisdiction
jurisdiction. The Convention covers four key issues: through capacity building, science-based manage-
marine genetic resources; area-based management ment systems, data collection, and monitoring.
instruments; environmental impact assessments; and He added, “Just as healthy and biodiverse ecosys-
capacity building and technology transfer, according tems are the foundation of sustainable fisheries, in-
to a statement received by the Food and Climate Plat- stitutions designed to manage these fisheries can
form. contribute significantly to ensuring that human use
The Convention on Marine Biodiversity requires a coexists with and supports biodiversity.”
comprehensive, cross-sectoral approach that inte- Data will be critical for the fisheries area outside na-
grates and builds upon existing arrangements for tional jurisdiction, making FAO fisheries data, includ-
managing human activities in marine areas outside ing production, trade, employment, fleet capacity, and
national jurisdiction, such as fishing, shipping, mining, water resource consumption, as well as FAO’s periodic
and research exploration. The agreement also stipu- assessment of the status of marine fisheries resources
lates the fair and equitable sharing of benefits de- and the Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System
rived from marine genetic resources—often used in (FERMS), particularly valuable. Capacity building is
pharmaceuticals, food supplements, and cosmetics. fundamental to all international treaties, and in this
The Convention on Extraterritorial Areas (ETA) rep- area, FAO has consistently supported countries, for
resents a significant step toward addressing critical example, in building the capacity to implement and
gaps in the management of ETA. comply with the Convention on Port State Measures
“The FAO has the expertise to assist Parties and in- to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fish-
stitutions in implementing the Convention, and it pos- ing (CUID), and in using compliance tools such as the
sesses the experience, data, and systems that will be Transit Shipping Guidelines and the Global Register
crucial to achieving its objectives,” said FAO Assistant of Fishing Vessels, all of which are applicable and rel-
Director-General and Director of Fisheries and Aqua- evant in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction.
culture, Manuel Barang. ETA covers approximately Through the Global Environment Facility-funded
two-thirds of the world’s oceans and nearly the major- Common Oceans Programme, FAO and its partners
ity of the Earth’s biome. have demonstrated, through practical solutions, how
Fishing in these waters is regulated through an exist- global and intersectoral cooperation can support
ing network of rules and regional fisheries manage- the effective and sustainable management of CUIDs,
ment organizations, with some geographical gaps. achieving tangible success in conserving tuna stocks
Approximately 11 million tons of marine animals are and the survival of endangered species, such as alba-
caught annually in ETA, primarily tuna, bonito, sword- trosses and sharks.
fish, and cartilaginous fish, which are caught in the

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2 Vol. 42 No. 2