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Sixth Session of the Open-ended
Informal Consultative Process
on Oceans and the Law of the Sea

United Nations Headquarters, New York | 6-10 June 2005
 

Earth Negotiations Bulletin - ENB
Daily Web
Coverage
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HTM PDF
TXT
HTM PDF
TXT
HTM PDF
TXT
Curtain
Raiser
06 June
07 June
08 June
09 June
10 June &
UNICPOLOS
Summary
13 June - - - - - - - - -
14 June - - - - - - - - -
15 June &
GMA
Summary

 



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UNICPOLOS-6 delegates hone lists of elements for Friday debate.


On Wednesday, delegates to the sixth meeting of the UN Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS-6 or Consultative Process) reconvened in the Discussion Panel on fisheries and their contribution to sustainable development in the morning and afternoon. The Discussion Panel on marine debris commenced in the afternoon.

Throughout the day, delegates gathered in the corridors to hone their lists of elements that will be negotiated on Friday for suggestion to the general assembly.


Wednesday, 8 June
Discussion Panel on Fisheries and their Contribution to Sustainable Development

Fábio Hazin of Brazil presented on artisanal and small-scale fisheries' contributions to sustainable development, in particular through economic growth, tax generation and employment creation.

Sidi El Moctar Ould Mohamed Abdallahi presented on coastal and small-scale fishing in Mauritania. He highlighted contributions to economic development, employment, poverty reduction and food security.

Kwang Suk Oh of the Republic of Korea cautioned against the potentially devastating economic effects of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and moratoria in the high seas.

Tom Laughlin of the United States' NOAA urged the promotion of an ecosystem approach to fisheries.

Sakias Tameo of Papua New Guinea underlined the need for technology transfer to Small Island Developing States.

"Pom" Onoora of Thailand questioned the viability of small-scale fisheries' access to the high seas.

Len Hinds of the Canadian International Development Agency called for involving local communities in small-scale fisheries' decision making.

Ing Try of Cambodia asked for clarification of the definition of small-scale fisheries.

Manimuthu Ghandi of India drew attention to the lack of classification of small-scale and commercial fisheries.

Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Canada provided an overview of the global decline of large predatory fish and identified industrialized fishing and habitat destruction as driving causes.

Callum Roberts of University of York detailed the contribution of MPAs to sustaining ecosystem services and fisheries, and called for a large-scale international network of MPAs targeting 30% of oceans.

Sebastian Mathew of India underlined that fisheries are a source of livelihood and employment, especially for women.

Karen Sack of Greenpeace, on behalf of the NGO community, called for urgent action to protect the oceans for future generations, and underscored the need for effective regulation of the high seas.

Ziro Suzuki of Japan noted that regional tuna management bodies arrived at grossly different conclusions about the status of tuna stocks than those presented by Boris Worm.

Kjartan Hoydal asked whether cases exist of non-declining predator stocks, and of MPAs that have not shown population recovery.

Serge Garcia of FAO questioned the effectiveness of MPAs in the absence of enforcement.

Phil Reynolds of the Anglican Communion called for broader societal participation of faith-based organizations in UN processes.

David Lambourne of Kiribati noted that SIDS receive little benefit from foreign exploitation of their fisheries, and called for enabling them to play a greater role in exploitation of their own resources.

Yolanda Alaniz Pasini of the Sierra Club expressed concern about the impact of underwater noise in MPAs.

Tullio Scovazzi of Italy enquired about precautionary measures to address underwater noise pollution.

Cara Horowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council suggested that managers of MPAs consider sources of underwater noise.
Side Event: "Last Journey for the Leatherback"

Turtle Island Restoration Network presented a showing of their documentary, "Last Journey of the Leatherback," describing threats to the continued survival of the Leatherback Sea Turtle, followed by a discussion.
Discussion Panel on Marine Debris

Seba Sheavly of the Ocean Conservancy (left) reported on her organization's International Coastal Cleanup campaign which annually targets marine debris in 127 countries, and the resulting international marine debris database.

Cees van de Guchte of UNEP (right) stressed that marine debris is persistent and highly mobile, resulting in threats to marine life and human health, visual contamination of beaches, and damage to the fishing and tourism industries.

Around UNICPOLOS-5

School children from New York and New England and NGO members delivered boxes containing thousands of letters to Secretary General Kofi Annan supporting a moratorium on longline fishing in the Pacific. One student's family brought a life-size leatherback sea turtle puppet to the presentation.
(Left photo: Todd Steiner/TIRN)


Related Links

Earth Negotiations Bulletin's report on UNICPOLOS-5 (HTML, PDF, TXT).
Earth Negotiations Bulletin's report on UNICPOLOS-4 (HTML, PDF, TXT).
Sustainable Developments’ report of the Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands (HTML, PDF, TXT).
UNICPOLOS Site.
UN Division for Oceans Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS).
GMA International Workshop site.
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) - Chapter 17.
Deep Sea Conservation Coalition rationales for a short-term moratorium on deep sea bottom trawling.
European Coalition for Silent Oceans information on underwater noise pollution.
Ocean Noise Coalition information on underwater noise pollution.
Ocean Mammal Institute information on underwater noise pollution.
Centro de Conservación Cetacea, Chile information on underwater noise pollution.