Description

Because the current governance of ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction is piecemeal and fragmented, there is no single global mechanism to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) outside States’ territorial seas or uniform requirements for undertaking environmental impact assessments.

Urgent action is needed to improve fisheries management in the open ocean, and to strengthen protection of related ecosystems to prevent devastating impacts on marine biodiversity, socio-economic well-being and food security for millions of people directly dependent on those fisheries.