BBNJ - Presentation of UN Resolution 61/105 Report

The International Programme on the State of the Ocean presented preliminary fundings of its soon to be published report, 'The Implementation of UN Resolution 61/105 in the Management of Deep-Sea Fisheries on the High Seas' at the third ad hoc informal working group meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (known as BBNJ), at the United Nations 1st – 5th February 2010.

The meeting was convened to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction.



Professor of Fisheries Biology emeritus, Richard Haedrich from the Department of Biology at Memorial University gave a presentation at a side event where a number of leading scientists spoke about the mapping of VMEs, high seas areas closed to bottom fishing, biogeographic classifications of deep-sea and open ocean ecosystems and options for conservation of biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions. Professor Haedrich gave an indication of how well RFMOs are implementing UN GA Resolutions 65/105 and 64/72 by citing research that shows that fish stocks are continuing to decline, impact assessments are varying in quality and quantity, closures are not being widely applied and are tending to reference sponges and corals only. The move-on rule was also discussed.' The report will be launched this spring.