IISD RS @ CMS SHARKS III - 10-12 February 2010 - Manila

Digital Coverage/ Summary Report
IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) has produced daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from this meeting. To download our report please click below in the HTML or PDF icons."

15 February

htm

pdf

Third Meeting on International Cooperation on Migratory Sharks (SHARKS III) Under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)

08-12 February 2010 | Manila, Philippines

Daily web highlights

Mon. 8 February |Tue. 9 February |Wed. 10 February |Thu. 11 February | Fri. 12 February

Summary Highlights of the Meeting:

Friday, 12 February 2010

On Friday morning, delegates discussed the draft conservation plan for migratory sharks. Delegates agreed that they would not be able to conclude on the conservation plan at this meeting. Chair Hogan offered to coordinate the interim drafting process and highlighted the benefit of active engagement of all delegations. Some states expressed concern about how the Conservation Plan would be agreed upon, in case they did not become Signatories to the MoU. Chair Hogan highlighted that comments from Signatories and non-Signatories would be considered in the drafting process.

The UK noted the need to discuss the number of range-state signatories required before the MoU commences. Delegates agreed that the MoU will commence on the first day of the month following the month on which there are at least 10 range state signatories

On Friday afternoon, delegates re-examined the MoU, paragraph-by-paragraph, to ensure that all viewpoints were adequately represented. Some delegates expressed concern with the prescriptive use of "shall" in various section of the document.

At 6:35pm, the Memorandum of Understanding on Migratory Sharks was opened for signature. The Philippines, Senegal, Togo, US, Republic of Congo, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Palau signed and the MoU will commence on the first day of March 2010.

Chair Lim closed the meeting at 6:47pm.

Read the ENB Summary and Analysis of the meeting in English (in HTML or PDF format)
Visit the full ENB web coverage for Friday, 12 February

Chair Mundita Lim being congratulated by Elizabeth Mrema at the close of the CMS Sharks III. Chair Lim closed the meeting at 6:47 pm.

Frédéric Busson, France

Julia Angelita Cordero Guillen, Ecuador

Martijn F. F. Peijs, the Netherlands

Elizabeth Mrema looking over David Hogan as he signed the MoU.

Chair Mundita Lim handing over the signed MoU to Elizabeth Mrema.

Thusday, 11 February 2010

On Thursday, delegates continued to consider the draft MoU. On scope, definitions and interpretation, delegates considered definitions for shark finning, regional fishery management organizations, favourable conservation status, Signatories and Cooperating Partners. Delegates discussed amendments to simplify the section on implementation, reporting and financing. On the meeting of the Signatories, delegates agreed on text stating that the first meeting of the Signatories should take place as soon as possible after the MoU comes into effect. On the establishment of an Advisory Committee, delegates considered its composition and modalities for its operations. Delegates also discussed cooperation with other bodies and final provisions.

During lunch, a working group met to consider which species to initially include in Annex I of the MoU and how species may be added in the future. Some delegates initially preferred limiting the species to Basking, Great White and Whale Sharks. Others favored including all seven species currently under the appendices of the CMS. A number of delegates proposed a criteria for priority species in the MoU, based on either the initial three species proposed at Sharks I, or on species in Appendix I of the CMS. On the future inclusion of species, delegates agreed that the addition of shark species to the appendices of the CMS should not result in an automatic listing of the species under the MoU.

Delegates continued to negotiate late into the evening on definitions and institutional arrangements. Delegates also agreed to include all seven species in the CMS appendices under this MoU (the Great White, Basking, Whale, Porbeagle, Spiny Dogfish, Shortfin and Longfin Mako Sharks).

Read the ENB Summary and Analysis of the meeting in English (in HTML or PDF format)
Visit the full ENB web coverage for Thursday, 11 February

Jolyon Thomson, UK

Gina Cuza Jones, Costa Rica

Papy Eric Kouame, Côte d'Ivoire

Juan José Areces Maqueda, Spain, and Oliver Schall, Germany, in a discussion with UK delegates.

L-R: Humane Society International participants, Alexia Wellbelove and Rebecca Regnery confers with Brad Norman, ECOCEAN.

Wednesday, 10 February 2010

Presenting opening remarks at the Third Meeting on International Cooperation on Migratory Sharks under the CMS (Sharks III), Arthur Yap, Secretary of Agriculture, Manuel Gerochi, Under Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Theresa Mundita Lim, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, described the Philippines’ interest in migratory shark conservation and welcomed delegates to the Philippines. Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of CMS, highlighted the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks to promote concerted action on shark conservation. She noted that the Conservation and Management Plan is expected to serve as an implementation tool for the MoU.

Delegates elected Theresa Mundita Lim (Philippines) as the Chair of Sharks III and Nigel Routh (Australia) as Vice-Chair. Delegates adopted rules of procedure and the agenda, reviewed the meeting objectives and began negotiating the draft MoU. Delegates focused discussion on the number of species to consider in the MoU. The EU, UK, Senegal, Australia and others expressed a desire to include all seven shark species currently considered under the Appendices of the CMS. Argentina, Chile, Norway and others preferred limiting inclusion to Whale Shark, Basking Shark and Great White Shark. Delegates agreed to establish a working group on the species to be included in the MoU.

Read the ENB Summary and Analysis of the meeting in English (in HTML or PDF format)
Visit the full ENB web coverage for Wednesday, 10 February

Manuel Gerochi, Under Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines

Arthur Yap, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, the Philippines

Group photo of participants attending the Third Meeting on International Cooperation on Migratory Sharks under CMS.

Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of CMS

Theresa Mundita Lim, the Philippines, elected as Chair of Sharks III.

Tuesday, 09 February 2010

On Tuesday morning, parties completed the initial read through of the draft Conservation and Management Plan for Migratory Sharks, discussed new preambular text, and began negotiating the removal of brackets in the text. Recognizing the limited time for negotiations on the draft CMP, Chair Hogan suggested that a revised draft CMP may need to be considered on the margins of the MoU negotiations and noted that many delegations may be hesitant to sign the MoU before the CMP is in place. Chair Hogan reiterated that the CMP remains non-binding and that overly prescriptive language will be revised. Delegates discussed articles on encouraging states to develop plans of action and on mechanisms of enhancement of cooperation and promotion of information exchange. On the preamble, delegates highlighted the need for consistency in the language used in the draft CMP text and in the draft MoU. Delegates also considered revised text on capacity building and shark finning.

In the afternoon, Executive Secretary Mrema invited delegates to consider aspects of the MoU that address the CMP in order to ensure harmonization between the two documents. The EC offered to lead a redraft of the section in the MoU on the CMP and an informal consultation took place with the view to providing plenary with a proposal on the modalities for reintegrating Annex III into the MoU. The EU presented a redraft of the text. Chair Hogan called on delegates with concerns to consult informally to reach consensus.

Read the ENB Summary and Analysis of the meeting in English (in HTML or PDF format)

Visit the full ENB web coverage for Tuesday, 09 February

L-R: Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of CMS, in a discussion with Marco Barbieri, CMS, and Jeanybeth Mina, CMS.

Oliver Schall, Germany, conferring with Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of CMS.

Martin Hall, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, speaking with Nicole Ricci, US.

Monday, 08 February 2010

On Monday morning, 8 February 2010, Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), opened the Technical Meeting for the Elaboration of a Conservation and Management Plan for Migratory Sharks. She noted the goal of finalizing the conservation and management plan (CMP) to feed into the third meeting on International Cooperation on Migratory Sharks under the CMS (Sharks III). In the morning, delegates: elected David Hogan (US) as Chair of the technical meeting and Stephen Manegene (Kenya) as Vice Chair; adopted the agenda and rules of procedure; received an update on the conservation status of migratory sharks; and began an initial reading of the draft CMP.

Delegates discussed the need for a preambular paragraph that highlights the non-legally binding status of the CMP. On the objective of improving understanding of migratory shark populations through research, monitoring and information exchange, delegates considered prioritizing actions, traditional ecological knowledge and the role of periodic review and evaluation. On reducing direct and incidental fisheries-related causes of shark mortality, some delegates noted that not all shark fisheries need to be reduced and others noted that sustainability of shark fisheries should be reflected in the objective.

Read the ENB Summary and Analysis of the meeting in English (in HTML or PDF format)
Visit the full ENB web coverage for Monday, 08 February

L-R: Dais during the opening plenary with Chair David Hogan (US); Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of CMS and Marco Barbieri, CMS.

ENB CMS SHARKS III TEAM:

ENB Sharks III team with Matthew Sommerville, Claudio Chiarolla, Wanja Nyingi and Franz Dejon.