Statement delivered by Ms Stephanie Oberscheider, Executive Officer, Environment Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Australian intervention - Agenda Item 5a: Anthropogenic impacts
(As delivered)
• In our earlier statement, we focussed on priority areas for future work, including threats to vulnerable marine ecosystems, overfishing, destructive fishing practices and so on. Noting that these activities are already largely regulated, improved implementation is vital to reduce impacts.
• For the purpose of this intervention, Australia would like to focus on new and unregulated activities.
• With the advent of new technology, even the furthest reaches of the world’s oceans are becoming increasingly accessible.
There are a number of new and emerging uses of marine areas BNJ.
• In the absence of information on the impacts of these new uses, we need to be prepared for an appropriate response where regulation is not yet in place.
• Australia is open to hearing suggestions on how to address new and unregulated activities.
such as a possible national prior assessment of unregulated activities, potentially following the guidance of existing international guidelines.
• This would provide an initial management measure, until such time it is determined the activity requires further regulation, and such a scheme is established.
• In Australia’s view, the standard set by the UNGA Resolution 61/105 is a best practice model which could be applied to unregulated activities
a prior assessment must be made before an activity is authorised to proceed
the activity is only authorised if it can be managed to prevent significant adverse impacts on the affected marine ecosystem.