SUBMISSIONS TO SPRFMO Ninth Scientific Committee Meeting (SC9)

2 September, 2021

Papers submitted

  • Watling and Auster (2021). Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, Communities, and Indicator Species: Confusing Concepts for Conservation of Seamounts
  • Currie and Weeber (2021) The Precautionary Approach and Ecosystem Approach in the context of Prevention of Significant Adverse Impacts on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems

REPORT: Save deep sea corals- ban bottom trawling on seamounts

2 August, 2021

Authors: Katrina Goddard, Karli Thomas, Barry Weeber

 

Together with Greenpeace Aotearoa, WWF-NZ, Forest and Bird, LegaSea, New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, Our Seas Our Future, and Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand (ECO), the DSCC  is calling on the New Zealand government to ban bottom trawling on seamounts.

Continue reading REPORT: Save deep sea corals- ban bottom trawling on seamounts

DSCC’S 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

16 April, 2021

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition’s (DSCC) 2020 Report informs on Fisheries, Deep Seabed Mining and Ocean Governance.

Protecting Global Seamounts – Briefing Document

24 March, 2021

Seamounts are fragile and biologically diverse marine ecosystems that are vulnerable to deep-sea fisheries activities and, increasingly, other human impacts.

This briefing examines the current state of seamount science and protection. It summarizes who continues to fish in these unique habitats and presents a case for urgent and intensified political action to protect these biodiversity hotspots.

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

“Deep-Sea Fisheries and Vulnerable Ecosystems in the Northeast Atlantic: How the EU Can Reform its Deep-Sea Management Regime”; The Pew Environment Group.

17 July, 2012

A new European Commission proposal to overhaul the regulation of deep-sea fisheries in the northeast Atlantic Ocean is a promising step toward transforming the area into a sustainable fishery. The proposal would repeal Council Regulation (EC) 2347/2002 (the ‘deep-sea access regime’) and establish new conditions for EU vessels fishing for deep-sea species in the northeast Atlantic.

Author: The Pew Environment Group

Available in English.