"Party" means a State or any regional economic integration organization constituted by sovereign

States which has competence in respect of the negotiation, conclusion and application of
international agreements in matters covered by this Convention for which this Convention is in
force. – CMS Article 1(k)

In matters within their competence, the regional economic integration organizations which are
Parties to this Convention shall in their own name exercise the rights and fulfil the responsibilities
which this Convention attributes to their member States. In such cases the member States of these
organizations shall not be entitled to exercise such rights individually.- CMS Article 1(2)

SARGASSUM
Did you know? Sargassum is edible, it’s harvested to feed livestock too, and you
can fry, boil, steam or dry it. It’s played a part in Chinese medicine as far back as
the 8th century, treating goiters (high iodine content) — and made into tea to
control phlegm.

Why so much?
No clear answer! Sargassum reproduction is asexual, which means that every bit of the
same species could probably be traced back to its original ancestor; therefore, some
consider it the largest organism in the world! Due to totipotency (a cell’s ability to give
rise to unlike cells and develop a new organism), when a part breaks away, it’s not the
end of it; the fragment drifts and could seemingly reproduce forever. Nonetheless,
Sargassum eventually becomes too heavy, less buoyant, and sinks into the deep sea…
or goes coastal!

What is the Sargasso Sea?

“The Sargasso Sea exists in a sort of non-existence—it is both sea, and non-sea.
It is a mysterious microcosm (…) so different from any other place on earth that it
may well be considered a definite geographic region” 
— Rachel Carson, Author, Marine Biologist, and Conservationist

Drawbacks
Unpleasant smell, once it begins to decay.

Too much Sargassum can make it complicated for nesting sea turtles to arrive at shore;
and for hatchlings to reach the ocean. Also, it’s more difficult to monitor turtle tracks.

It can adversely affect tourism.

Decomposing in water, it can promote blooms of harmful bacteria / microbes; resulting in

serious skin irritation.
When removed from the beach, heavy machinery tends to compact the sand (this can
affect turtles nesting, e.g.) and remove both sand and nutrients from the shore, which
can lead to beach erosion.

Potential in the medical and pharmaceutical fields.

Serves as biofuel and land fill.

“The Protection and Management of the Sargasso Sea: the golden floating
rainforest of the Atlantic Ocean.”