Oceans governance

Ocean ecosystems support all life on this planet. They provide oxygen and food, buffer the weather, and regulate global temperature. The mostly unexplored deep seabed is the largest reservoir of biodiversity on the planet.

Human activities are threatening the health, productivity and biodiversity of the oceans. Many marine species are affected by pollution. For example, plastic is commonly found in the oceans. Overfishing and destructive fishing practices have reduced many fish stocks well below sustainable levels.

FIELD believes that the world needs a stronger global oceans governance system, building on existing agreements such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Pirate fishing

Fishing that contravenes national and international law is usually referred to as illegal, unreported and unregulated (‘IUU’) or ‘pirate’ fishing’. It undermines environmental protection efforts and jeopardises the livelihoods of coastal communities. It is often made easier by flags of convenience that can make it impossible to identify and punish the real owner of a vessel. FIELD’s work on oceans governance seeks to achieve a global ban on the use of ‘flags of convenience’ by fishing vessels. Achieving this would be a major step towards better oceans governance.

'Lowering the flag' report

Marine protected areas

To protect marine habitats and species FIELD supports the establishment of marine protected areas (MPA). MPAs can be a very effective conservation tool, which allow damaged ecosystems to recover and begin functioning naturally again. MPAs could be particularly helpful in areas beyond national jurisdiction, which cover approximately 64 per cent of the ocean’s surface.

Marine protected areas on the high seas - guide

Roundtable “New Rules for the Oceans”

In July 2011 and January 2012, FIELD convened roundtable discussions to consider the recent recommendation of 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 (WG-ABNJ) relating to ensuring that:

“the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in ABNJ effectively addresses those issues by identifying gaps and ways forward, including through the implementation of existing instruments and the possible development of multilateral agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”

Both meetings, which brought together representatives of non-governmental organisations, marine scientists and academia, were held under the Chatham House Rule of non-attribution. The second roundtable specifically looked at the potential for a new global governing body that would deal with marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Oceans governance

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