Statement by Mr Andrew Goledzinowski, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Australian Mission to the United Nations, on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum regarding the ad hoc open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction. Delivered on 1 February 2010. 

(as delivered)

Co-Chairs

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum members represented at the United Nations.

In this International Year of Biodiversity, the members of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) recognise that human pressures on the marine environment are increasing and impacting the long-term health, resilience and productivity of marine ecosystems. Over-fishing, destructive fishing practices, threats to sea floor habitats, pollution, marine debris and invasive alien species are some of the key challenges. We share the common objective of harnessing the value of the marine resources in our region, and ensuring, as joint custodians, their conservation and sustainable use.

In our region there is a high concentration of vulnerable marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, deep water corals, hydrothermal vents and underwater seamounts. Pacific Island Country members of the Forum, in particular, have a high stake in conserving marine biodiversity, given their special circumstances in terms of attaining sustainable development.

The Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (“The Working Group”) has been asked to provide recommendations to the UN General Assembly on ways to improve how the international system looks after the biodiversity of our oceans. PIF hopes that the discussions that we will hold over this week will help promote a robust international system which, led by the UN General Assembly, will implement practical measures towards improved environmental outcomes. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, States agreed to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation which, inter alia, affirmed UN commitment to ‘full implementation’ of a range of international agreements, as well as key conservation targets. At the end of this week we will be making recommendations on how to progress the 2012 target for establishing a representative network of marine protected areas.

The Barbados Programme of Action (1994) was also one of the international agreements that the UN committed to implement. In light of shortcomings in implementation, this was revised into the Mauritius Strategy for the further implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (2005). This year marks the review year for the Mauritius Strategy where we will take stock of progress made and the continuing challenges encountered in the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy.

Forum members encourage the Working Group to consider more closely the ways that the international system can practically address the environmental impact of human activities on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.

A recent example of this was the 2009 review of implementation of bottom-fishing measures contained in the 2006 UNGA Resolution 61/105 on responsible fisheries in the marine ecosystem. That review revealed that, while significant efforts have been made by various regional fisheries management organisations and arrangements and by states participating in negotiations to establish RFMOs to give effect to the Resolution, implementation of the resolution has been uneven and full implementation of the Resolution has yet to be achieved. Implementation of the Guidelines on Deep Sea Fishing that were adopted by the FAO last year and of the measures called for UNGA Resolution 64/71 will be important to on going efforts to avoid signficant adverse impacts of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems in areas beyond national jurisdiction and in ensuring the sustainability of deep sea fish stocks. Fisheries resources of the Pacific represent a major source of food and income for Pacific Island Countries, and for many Pacific people is the main prospect for sustainable economic development. The maximisation of return from these resources and their sustainable conservation and management is therefore fundamental to the long-term socio-economic wellbeing and stability of the region. We therefore welcome the 2009 review of implementation of bottom-fishing measures and hope that it leads to more even implementation of measures to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.

A key part of assessment, and decision-making needed to progress and to achieve the 2012 objective of a representative network of marine protected areas will be for the working group to recommend practical means to improve the availability, flow and assessment of information, together with cooperation, coordination and integration amongst relevant organisations, such as through UN-Oceans. Area based management tools will need to be supported by diverse approaches which make effective the potential in the existing institutional architecture and toolkit.

In our region, many of the PIF members have been involved in efforts to meet some of these challenges, including through the Coral Triangle Initiative, the Micronesia Challenge, the Pacific "Oceanscape" concept and the work of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

We continue to be very concerned about the negative impacts of overfishing and overcapacity on our sustainable fisheries, as well as the problem of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing. The PIF members worked closely with other interested participants in negotiations to conclude the South Pacific RFMO. This agreement filled a crucial gap for the conservation and management of high-seas non-highly migratory species.

We therefore encourage careful consideration and real action to progress the objectives of this meeting within the existing institutional framework, and remain open to considering how improvements can be made in the medium-to-long term future.

Thank you
Co-Chairs