Preventing biodiversity loss in the deep sea — A critique of compliance by high seas fishing nations and RFMOs with global environmental commitments

30 October, 2020

Authors: Susanna Fuller, Duncan Currie, Matthew Gianni, Lyn Goldsworthy, Cassandra Rigby, Kathryn Schleit, Colin Simpfendorfer, Les Watling, Barry Weeber.

16 years have passed since the UNGA first called for States and RFMOs “urgently to adopt … conservation and management measures, in accordance with international law, to address the impact of destructive fishing practices.

This report by the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) reviews the progress made since 2016 and makes recommendations on what more should be done to ensure that both individual high-seas fishing nations and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) fully implement the actions called for in UNGA Resolutions 61/105, 64/72, 66/68 and 71/123. It is the latest in a series produced by the DSCC that have been published in advance of the formal reviews conducted by the UNGA.

Although the UNGA review workshop scheduled for August 2020 was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the information in this report is relevant to RFMO Commission and Scientific Committee meetings taking place over the next 12 months and will help inform the UNGA workshop when it is rescheduled. All documents are available only in English.

South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation 8th Scientific Committee Meeting Documents – 3 to 8 Oct, 2020

1 October, 2020

The SC8 meeting, hosted by New Zealand, is being held remotely from 3 to 8 October 2020. The Chairperson of the SC is Dr Jim Ianelli (USA) and the Vice Chairperson is Mr Niels Hintzen (EU). All official meeting documents and other relevant information can be found on the SPRFMO SC8 webpage.

Presentations to Deep Water Working Group

Presentations to the Scientific Committee

DSCC Interventions

DSCC Briefing for the Eighth Meeting of the Commission of the SPRFMO

15 January, 2020

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) respectfully submits this briefing for the Eighth Meeting of the Commission of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO).

This briefing will address the Scientific Committee; the Conservation and Management Measures (CMM), with respect to bottom fisheries; and the Performance Review Recommendations.

Letter to the European Commission on closing seamounts to bottom fisheries and unregulated fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area

23 September, 2019

In a letter send to:

João Aguiar Machado
European Commission, Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Anders Jessen,
European Commission, Law of the Sea and Regional Fisheries Organisations, DG-MARE

the DSCC, WWF- EU and Seas At Risk adress the topic of ‘Closing seamounts to bottom fisheries and unregulated fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area’.

 

Available in English.

High-seas fish biodiversity is slipping through the governance net

26 August, 2019
Guillermo Ortuño Crespo, Daniel C. Dunn, Matthew Gianni, Kristina Gjerde, Glen Wright & Patrick N. Halpin

States at the United Nations have begun negotiating a new treaty to strengthen the legal regime for marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Failure to ensure the full scope of fish biodiversity is covered could result in thousands of species continuing to slip through the cracks of a fragmented global ocean governance framework.

Find full article here.

January 2019 SPRFMO Note to Delegates

9 January, 2019

This note accompanied the DSCC Briefing for the Seventh Meeting of the Commission of the
South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO). It is intended as an overview
and as a further discussion of the threshold and naturalness issues related to the bottom fishing
Conservation and Management Measure (CMM), Comm7-Prop03.

Available in English (PDF).

Organizations Call on Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to Improve Standards

24 January, 2018

Sixty-six marine conservationorganizations, animal protection organizations, and leading academics recently issued a joint letter to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) chair Werner Kiene. They are criticizing the MSC for its failure to improve the label’s Principle 2 (“Environmental and Ecological Impacts”) standards.

Available in English.