THE OCEANS RESCUE PLAN FOR RIO+20Six steps for successful oceans negotiations
Our oceans give us life. Billions of people depend on them for their food and foremployment. In return, we are plundering them of fish, choking them with pollutionand altering them forever with the impacts of human-induced climate change. We areharming the very source of our prosperity.
A green economy needs a bluebackbone.
Healthy and productive oceans are essential in the fight against povertyand ensuring food security. On the road to the Rio Summit, States must agree to anOceans Rescue Plan that will ensure a healthy marine environment and sustainablefisheries and for the benefit of people today and future generations to come.
Step 1.CLOSE THE GOVERNANCE GAPSAgree to an implementing agreement under UNCLOS
Just as the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, took action to ensure better management ofstraddling and highly migratory fish stocks, the UNCSD must take action to close thegaps in oceans governance. In Rio, States must agree on the immediate initiation ofnegotiations for an implementing agreement under UNCLOS to provide a coherentand integrated approach in all areas beyond national jurisdiction.The implementing agreement that promotes the conservation and sustainablemanagement of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction must include a globalmechanism for the establishment, monitoring and control of marine reserves andmarine protected areas, the implementation of environmental impact assessmentsbefore human activities take place in the high seas, as well as a regime for theaccess and equitable sharing of benefits of marine genetic resources in these areas.
The launch of negotiations for an implementing agreement is the oceans testcase on the success of the Summit.
The large majority of like-minded States muststand strong and ensure decisive action is taken in Rio for a new high seasagreement.
Step 2.STOP OVERFISHING
Overfishing is costing societies around $50 billion peryear and stealing fish fromvulnerable coastal communities across the world. In Rio, States must focus on thelong-term benefits for societies and not be influenced by the short term interests oftheir fishing sectors. States must
strengthen their efforts to maintain and restorefish stocks to sustainable levels
and to further commit to implementing science-based management plans, based on the precautionary principle and ecosystemapproach. It important they recommit to rebuild stocks by 2015 as agreed in theJohannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) in 2002 and to reduce fisheries impactsto levels that are within safe ecological limits by 2020 as per the CBD Aichibiodiversity targets adopted in 2010.
Step 3.ELIMINATE IUU FISHING
In 2009, the value of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) was estimatedto amount to
US$ 10
–
23.5 billion per year.
It is evident that not enough has beendone to effectively combat the menace of IUU fishing on our oceans. In Rio States
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