Download Possible outline for a global integrated assessment of the

GESAMP 38/6/A
6 May 2011
ENGLISH ONLY
38th session
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UN REGULAR PROCESS
Note by Alan Simcock
Joint Coordinator, Group of Experts of the Regular Process
Introduction
1
Neither of the joint coordinators of the Group of Experts of the Regular Process was able
to accept the invitation to make a presentation at the 38th session of GESAMP, although
Dr. Lorna Inniss of Barbados hopes to be able to answer questions during a telephone session
on Tuesday 10 May. This document is therefore to provide an up-date to GESAMP on what is
happening on the Regular Process.
Progress to date
2
GESAMP will probably be aware that:
.1
the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South
Africa in 2002, recommended that there should be a “Regular Process under the
United Nations for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine
environment, including socio-economic aspects” (the “Regular Process”);
.2
the UN General Assembly accepted this recommendation, and organised a
number of international workshops to consider the practicalities;
.3
in 2006, the UN General Assembly set up a Group of Experts to carry out an
initial stage – an Assessment of Assessments;
.4
the Assessment of Assessments reported in 2009, with an analysis of over 500
assessments of the marine environment carried out around the world,
conclusions on what is best practice for such assessments and recommendations
on how to structure the regular process. These recommendations covered its
overall objective, its scope, guiding principles, and guidance on best practice,
together with proposals for the institutional framework. The proposed institutional
framework included means of reporting the UN General Assembly, a
Management and Review Body, an Expert Panel to carry out the assessment
work, a wider pool of experts to support this (where a possible role for GESAMP
and its expert pool was considered) and a dedicated Secretariat;
.5
an Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole of the UN General Assembly considered
the report and submitted recommendations to the UN General Assembly, which
in December 2009 endorsed the overall framework of overall objective, scope,
guidance on capacity-building, guiding principles and a description of the first
cycle of assessment, the goal of which was agreed to be “integrated assessment
of the oceans, including agreed priority cross-cutting thematic issues such as
food security” by 2014. No agreement was reached on institutional matters, but a
Group of Experts was set up to do some further preparatory work;
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.6
a further meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group in September 2010 considered
the institutional arrangements further. In the event, the Group of Experts set up
in 2009 was asked to continue as the Group of Experts of the Regular Process
and to prepare a set of options for implementing the Regular Process; and
.7
in February 2011, the Ad Hoc Working Group considered the set of options
submitted by the Group of Experts.
The Ad Hoc Working Group’s
recommendations, endorsed by the UN General Assembly in April 2011, agreed
certain organisational points, asked States to comment by 30 April 2011 on some
aspects of the set of options submitted by the Group of Experts, asked the Group
of Experts to prepare revised documents on the basis of those comments, and
arranged for a further meeting on 27 and 28 June 2011.
Issues for consideration in June 2011
Institutional issues
3
It is agreed that, under the UN General Assembly, the main decision-making forum for
the Regular Process should be the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole, which will be open to
all UN Member States and Observers, to competent intergovernmental organisations and to
non-governmental organisations with consultative status with ECOSOC.
4
There is informal consensus that there should be some sort of “management and review
mechanism”, but the composition and functions of this remain to be agreed.
5
The Group of Experts of the Regular Process has been appointed, with five experts from
each of the UN regional groups (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean,
and Western Europe and Other) – though only one appointment has yet been made from
Eastern Europe. The Group has chosen Dr Lorna Inniss (Barbados) and Mr Alan Simcock
(United Kingdom) as its coordinators. More precise terms of reference and description of
working methods for the Group of Experts are to be established.
6
There is agreement that there will need to be additional support from other experts, but
the way in which this pool of collaborators will be created and deployed is still to be agreed. It
is, however, clear that States expect to play a central role in deciding which experts will be
invited to take part in the pool of collaborators. It is clear that members of the pool of
collaborators (like members of the Group of Experts) will have to work largely on a pro bono
publico basis (that is, without specific remuneration), and that their institutions will need to allow
them time and support to do so.
7
The Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea of the UN Secretariat has been
designated as the Secretariat of the Regular Process, with other competent UN agencies and
programmes invited to give technical and scientific support. IMO, UNEP and UNESCO/IOC
have nominated focal points, and other agencies are expected to do so.
8
Funding is still highly uncertain. Some States have indicated their readiness to provide
funding as and when a clear and effective set of arrangements have been agreed, and some UN
agencies and programmes have indicated their readiness to support the Regular Process in
various ways.
Outline of the First Integrated Assessment
9
Part of the set of options produced by the Group of Experts for the February 2011
meeting was a possible outline for the First Integrated Assessment. The Ad Hoc Working Group
agreed in February that States should comment on this by 30 April 2011 and that the Group of
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Experts should produce a revised version by the end of May 2011. The comments that have
been received seem generally to support this outline, but with significant questions about the
way in which the science/policy interface should be described and about ways in which the
amount of work involved could be reduced. A copy of the February outline is attached hereto.
Any comments by GESAMP would of course be considered by the Group of Experts.
Working methods
10
The working method suggested by the Group of Experts in the February 2011 set of
options foresaw the following main steps:
.1
agreement of the outline of the First Integrated Assessment;
.2
agreement of a Guide for Authors (a draft of which was part of the February set of
options);
.3
preparation of working papers on each of the issues identified under each
chapter of the outline, in many cases with a series of regional working papers,
with a later synthesis working paper based on them. These working papers
would be produced by a Lead Drafter (or a team of Lead Drafters), commented
on by a panel of consultors designated by the Group of Experts, and revised by
the Lead Drafter(s);
.4
preparation of draft chapters on the basis of the working papers by Lead
Drafter(s), with again comment by a panel of consultors and revision by the Lead
Drafter(s);
.5
production of the first draft of the First Integrated Assessment by the Group of
Experts, based upon the draft chapters;
.6
peer review of the first draft by both:
.1
national authorities and intergovernmental organisations; and
.2
independent peer-reviewers for each chapter designated by the Group of
Experts from among experts who have not previously been involved;
.7
revision by Chapter Editors (who would be either members of the Group of
Experts or Lead Drafters) in the light of peer-review comments; and
.8
adoption of the final version by the Group of Experts.
11
The February set of options proposed that the Lead Drafters, consultors and peerreviewers would be selected by the Group of Experts from a pool of experts nominated by
States and intergovernmental organisations (with the additional possibility that experts might be
able to put themselves forward as consultors). The suggestion was made that, if a management
and review mechanism was established, the “slate” selected by the Group of Experts should be
subject to its approval. Discussion in February and subsequent comments from States suggest
that many States think that there should be more control by States over this process.
12
The precise mechanisms for the methods of work remain to be agreed.
Workshops
13
In February 2011, the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole agreed that “workshops
[should] be recognized as a key mechanism by which the first global marine assessment will be
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accomplished and States can enhance their assessment capacity”. It is agreed that a series of
regional workshops should be organized under the auspices of the United Nations and in
coordination with the Secretariat of the Regular Process and with the assistance of the members
of the Group of Experts, and that they be organized and conducted following the objectives and
guidelines to be adopted by the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole, which will include a
capacity-building component. States have commented on draft guidelines prepared by the
Group of Experts, who are now working on a revised version. The number and location of the
workshops will be discussed at the June 2011 meeting. It is expected that the workshops will be
held over a period of about 12 months.
14
The aim of the workshops will be to provide forums at which:
.1
experts can make inputs at the national and regional levels, on the way in which
the First Integrated Assessment can best be carried out;
.2
existing assessments can be identified that can contribute to the First Integrated
Assessment; and
.3
assessment capacity can be improved.
15
The workshops will thus be an important component of the Regular Process, even if
important issues remain to be resolved. There may be a case for further workshops later in the
first cycle of the Regular Process.
Conclusion
16
The development of the Regular Process has thus been slow. The point is now being
reached at which agreement should soon be reached on the major structural issues. The focus
will then have to shift to organising the proposed workshops and identifying the pool of
collaborators and assigning roles, in preparation for finalizing the outline of the First Integrated
Assessment and producing the assessment itself.
***
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ANNEX
Possible outline for a global integrated assessment of the state of the marine
environment, including socio-economic aspects
NOTES:
This is the text of the Outline as submitted by the Group of Experts to the February 2011
meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole. It does not take account of
comments at that meeting or of comments subsequently submitted by States – a revision
is in course of preparation.
The items numbered 1A and so on represent issues on which Working Papers are
proposed to be prepared. Some of these issues bring together (for brevity) disparate
questions, which might well be the subject of separate Working Papers. Also many
issues will need to be treated at regional level, with a subsequent synthesis Working
Paper to bring together the regional information.
Note: Where there is a reference to consideration of policies on a topic, the intention (as shown
in the Information Material provided to the 2010 meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the
Whole) is that the following questions would be considered:
(1) What are the policies and how effective are they?
(2) Where there is widespread success, what is causing failures in the other cases?
(3) Where there is not widespread success, what leads to this lack of success?
(4) Can improved implementation of existing policies address these problems?
(5) Are there policy gaps and if so, what type of new policies could be considered?
(6) What would be the environmental, social and economic consequences of improved
implementation and/or new policies?
(7) Do data and/or knowledge gaps limit the ability to address the problems identified?
(8) What capacity-building measures are needed to overcome problems of policy
development, policy implementation, data collection and knowledge acquisition?
Part I – Summary for decision makers
[This Part would not follow the pattern of the main report, but highlight the most significant
conclusions. It would aim to bring out:
(a) Overall assessment of the scale of human impact on the oceans;
(b) The main threats to the marine environment and human economic and social
wellbeing;
(c) The needs for capacity-building and possible ways of filling them;
(d) The most serious gaps in knowledge and possible ways of filling them; and
(e) The factors relating to possible remedial actions that could be relevant in
establishing priorities.]
Part II – The oceans and their context
Chapter 1.
The major features of the ocean basins and linked seas
1.A. The main geological features: enclosed and semi-enclosed seas – continental shelves
and slopes – mid-ocean ridges – seamounts – coral and other biogenic reefs – sedimentation –
major estuaries – fjord and ria areas – ocean canyons – coastal geological structures, beaches,
marine wetlands, mangroves and tidal flats.
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[Under this heading, the aim would not be to provide an encyclopaedic description, but to give
enough information to enable non-expert readers understand the subsequent discussion]
1.B. The main features of the water column (including regional variability): bodies of water –
thermohaline circulation – the main ocean currents – deep water formation (downwelling) and
upwelling – stratification – ice coverage.
[The material under this heading would simply aim to give the oceanographic background – the
main issues would be covered in Chapters 5 and 6]
Chapter 2.
Human relationships to the oceans
2.A. Human population in coastal areas, including major cities in coastal areas and forecast
changes.
[The material under this heading would aim to draw on the work done for the United Nations
World Population Project]
2.B. Human impact on coastal areas: the extent to which human activities create pressures
on coastal and marine ecosystems.
[Material that could be relevant could include the scale of coastal agriculture, and industrial and
urban development, and the proportion of coastline with urban development].
Chapter 3.
Rights and obligations in the oceans
[This chapter would give an overview of the different maritime zones and the different rights and
obligations that exist in them. The aim would not be to set out an exhaustive description, but
provide sufficient background for a non-expert to understand what jurisdictions exist and what
controls can be applied.]
Chapter 4.
4.A.
Mandate, information sources and method of work
Objectives, scope and mandate of the Regular Process.
4.B. General issues relating to the collection of environmental, economic and social data
relating to the oceans and seas, including national, regional and global aggregation and analysis
of information and data, quality assurance of data, and access to information.
4.C.
Description of the way in which the first integrated assessment has been carried out.
Part III – Assessment of major ecosystem services from the marine environment (other
than provisioning services)1
Chapter 5.
The oceans’ role in the hydrological cycle
5.A. The interactions between the seawater and freshwater segments of the hydrological
cycle: the rate of turnover and changes in it – freshwater fluxes – reduction in ice coverage –
sea level changes.
5.B.
Environmental, economic and social implications of sea-level change.
5.C. Chemical composition of seawater: salinity and nutrient content of the different water
bodies – changes in salinity and nutrient content – implications of such changes.
1
The main provisioning service from the oceans is food, which is covered in Part IV (food security). Other
provisioning services are covered in Part V (other human activities impacting on the marine environment).
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5.D. The oceans’ role in heat transportation: the overall influence of the oceans on surface
temperature – oceanic oscillations – El Niño and similar events.
5.E.
Environmental, economic and social impacts of El Niño and similar events.
Chapter 6.
Sea/air interaction
[This chapter would draw heavily on the work of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]
6.A. Air quality regulation (oxygen production, carbon dioxide sequestration): role of the
oceans and seas as carbon-dioxide sinks – issues about maintaining or enhancing that role.
6.B. Meteorological phenomena related to the oceans: hurricanes and typhoons – monsoon
rains – trade winds.
6.C. Environmental, economic and social implications of trends in meteorological phenomena
(including effects on seas covered by ice for much of the year).
6.D.
Ocean acidification: degree and extent of ocean acidification.
6.E. Environmental, economic and social implications of trends in ocean acidification (with
cross-reference to Part IV on Food Security).
Chapter 7.
Primary production, cycling of nutrients, surface layer and plankton
7.A. Global distribution of primary production: the reasons for the present distribution –
factors affecting cycling of nutrients and the variability and resilience of the base of the food web
– changes known and foreseen (including changes in ultra-violet radiation from ozone-layer
problems).
7.B. Surface layer and plankton: role of the surface layer – factors influencing it – variations in
plankton species.
7.C. Environmental, economic and social implications of trends in primary production and
other factors affecting the inherent variability and resilience of the base of the food web (with
cross-reference to Part IV on Food Security).
Chapter 8.
Aesthetic, religious and spiritual ecosystem services derived from the
marine environment
Scale of human interactions with the oceans and seas on the aesthetic, religious and spiritual
levels (including burials at sea), and ways in which these may be affected by other changes.
There would also be a cross-reference to Chapter 26 (tourism).
Chapter 9.
services
Conclusions on major ecosystems services other than provisioning
Summary of the main issues (including capacity-building needs and information gaps) identified
in Chapters 5 to 8.
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Part IV – Assessment of Cross-cutting issue: Food Security
Chapter 10.
Oceans and seas as sources of food
Scale of human dependence on the oceans and seas for food, the variations between different
parts of the world, and the extent to which some parts of the world depend on other parts for fish
and sea-food.
Chapter 11.
Capture fisheries
11.A. Commercial fish and shellfish stocks: present status and likely development over the
next decade of fish and shellfish stocks that are commercially exploited – scale of economic
activity.
11.B. Other fish and shellfish stocks: present status and likely development over the next
decade of fish and shellfish stocks exploited by artisanal or subsistence fishing – significance for
livelihoods – present status and likely development over the next decade of fish stocks not
currently exploited.
11.C. Impacts of capture fisheries (commercial, artisanal and subsistence) on marine
ecosystems, through effects on the food web, through by-catch (fish, mammals, reptiles, and
sea-birds), through discards and through different fishing gear and methods (including long lines
and extra long gill nets).
11.D. Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing: scale, location and effects.
11.E. Policies and capacity-building needs for the management of commercial capture
fisheries: extent of different management approaches and their impacts (including such issues
as by-catch handling and discard requirements) – relationships to status of fish stocks.
11.F. Policies and capacity-building needs for the management of artisanal and subsistence
fishing – relationships to status of fish stocks.
Chapter 12.
Aquaculture
12.A. Scale and distribution of aquaculture: locations of aquaculture activities – species
cultivated – economic significance.
12.B. Aquaculture inputs and effects: demand for coastal space – demand for fish meal from
capture fisheries – use of chemicals – interactions of escaped stock with wild stocks.
12.C. Policies and capacity-building needs for the management of aquaculture.
Chapter 13.
Seaweeds and other sea-based food
Scale and significance of food derived from the oceans and seas other than fish and shell-fish –
potential impacts of its collection.
Chapter 14.
Social and economic aspects of fisheries
14.A. Relationship with human health: benefits and problems from sea-based food – chemical,
toxic and bacterial contamination.
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14.B. Scale and significance of employment in fisheries (and aquaculture): numbers employed
– adequacy of training – relationship of earnings to local median earnings – scale of injuries to
fishers compared to other industries.
14.C. Role of fisheries in social structure: role of fishers in local societies – extent to which
fishing is the sole source of livelihood – extent to which local societies are dependent on
fisheries and aquaculture.
14.D. Social and economic impact of piracy on fisheries2 – scale, location and effects.
14.E. Relationship between catch areas, ownership and operation of fishing vessels, landing
ports and consumption distribution: what benefits do States (and economic operators based in
them) obtain from fisheries (and aquaculture) in their territorial seas and EEZs? – which States
(and economic operators based in them) benefit from high-seas fisheries?
14.F. Links to other industries: scale of economic activity dependent on fisheries (and
aquaculture), both in providing equipment (especially ships) and in processing output.
Chapter 15.
Conclusions on food security
15.A. Summary of the main issues (including capacity-building needs and information gaps)
identified in chapters 10 to 14.
15.B. Longer-term development of food from marine resources – impacts of climate change –
impacts of population changes – relation with changes in terrestrial food production.
Part V – Assessment of other human activities impacting on the marine environment
Chapter 16.
Shipping
16.A. Significance of shipping in world trade: major shipping routes – amount of world trade
carried by sea – economic benefits to States from shipping activities (including as flag States).
16.B. Seafarers: scale of employment – adequacy of training – relationship of seafarers’
earning to median earnings – injuries suffered in the course of employment.
16.C. Threats from shipping: locations, scale and trends – pollution from shipping (MARPOL
Annexes I to VI, anti-fouling treatments and noise) – the acoustic impact of shipping on marine
wildlife - shipping disasters – invasive species through ballast water – transport of ships for shipbreaking – risks to coastal States from shipping compared to their trade.
16.D. Links to other industries and commerce: ship-building – ship-breaking – bunkers –
insurance, chartering and navigation services.
16.E. Impacts of piracy on maritime transport3: locations, scale and trends.
16.F. Policies and capacity-building needs for managing shipping: international and national
regulation – Special Areas, Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) – enforcement.
Chapter 17.
Ports
17.A. Scale and significance of port activities: locations and traffic – likely growth – economic
benefits to port States.
2
3
Piracy does not directly affect the marine environment, but is a significant social aspect of use of the marine environment.
Piracy does not directly affect the marine environment, but is a significant social aspect of use of the marine environment.
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17.B. Impacts of the creation and maintenance of ports: scale of port development – dredging
for navigational purposes – management of ships’ waste (including effects of charging regimes)
– pollution from ships in port – remobilisation of pollutants by dredging.
17.C. Policies and capacity-building needs for management of ports – relationship to shipping
industry – relationship to fisheries and to international trade.
Chapter 18.
Submarine cables
18.A. Scale and significance of cables and cable-laying: role in internet – employment – links
to other industries – economic benefits.
18.B. Potential pollution and physical harm from cables.
18.C. Policies and capacity-building needs for management of cables and cable laying –
interference with other uses of the oceans.
Chapter 19.
Coastal, riverine and atmospheric inputs from land
19.A. Municipal waste water (including the impact of major cities and of cruise ships in
harbours): scale and degree of treatment – nature of impact (both through direct and riverine
inputs and including impacts on microbiological quality of coastal waters (economic impacts of
adverse effects on water quality, especially on aquaculture and tourism)) – likely developments.
19.B. Industrial discharges (including point sources): hazardous substances (including
persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals) – hydrocarbons – nutrients – scale of
discharges (direct and riverine inputs and atmospheric transport) – degree of treatment – nature
of impact (including impacts on human health through food chain) – likely developments.
19.C. Agricultural runoff and emissions: scale (direct and riverine inputs and atmospheric
transport of nutrients) – nature of impact – likely developments.
19.D. Eutrophication: combined effects of municipal, industrial and agricultural inputs
(considering also the effects of turbidity in coastal waters and de-nitrification in estuaries) –
cross-reference to effects on fish stocks and effects on the food web.
19.F. Inputs of radioactive substances (from both nuclear and non-nuclear industries) – actual,
potential and suspected impacts of inputs of radioactive substances.
19.G. Policies and capacity-building needs for managing the impact of land-based inputs:
Global Programme of Action – regional conventions – national plans.
Chapter 20.
Offshore hydrocarbon industries
20.A. Scale and significance of the offshore hydrocarbon industries: location, scale of
production and expected development – employment and risks to employees – adequacy of
training for protection of the marine environment – economic benefits to States.
20.B. Impacts from exploration (including seismic surveys): scale and expected development.
20.C. Impacts from production: scale and expected development (including cuttings piles,
chemicals used offshore, flaring, produced water) – sewage discharges from installations.
20.D. Offshore installation disasters and their impacts.
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20.E. Decommissioning.
20.F. Impact of piracy on offshore installation4: location, scale and trends.
20.G. Policies and capacity-building needs for management of offshore hydrocarbon
installations.
Chapter 21.
Other marine-based energy industries
21.A. Scale of wind, wave and tidal power generation – current, planned and forecast.
21.B. Environmental benefits and impacts of wind, wave and tidal power generation.
21.C. Expected economic performance of wind, wave and tidal power generation.
21.D. Policies and capacity-building needs for management of offshore non-hydrocarbon
energy installations.
Chapter 22.
Offshore mining industries
22.A. Scale and significance of sand and gravel extraction: sustainability of sand and gravel
extraction (including relationship to sand and gravel from land) – environmental impacts of sand
and gravel extraction.
22.B. Economic benefits and social effects of sand and gravel extraction.
22.C. Developments in other sea-bed mining: current state and potential scale.
22.D. Policies and capacity-building needs for the management of offshore mining industries.
Chapter 23.
Solid waste disposal
Types and amounts of waste dumped at sea (including potential impacts on the marine
environment), and the policies and capacity-building needs to manage such dumping.
Chapter 24.
Marine litter
24.A. The multiple causes (inadequately controlled land-based disposal of waste, inadequate
control of beach litter, ship-generated litter) of marine litter and the scale and distribution of the
problem.
24.B. Policies and capacity-building needs for combating marine litter.
Chapter 25.
Land/sea physical interaction
25.A. Land reclamation: scale and location of land reclamation and habitats affected – policies
and capacity-building needs for the management of reclamation.
25.B. Erosion of land by the sea: economic and social costs of land erosion – effects on
marine and coastal habitats of coastal defences (including beaches and fringing islands) – costs
of coastal defences – policies and capacity-building needs for coastal defence.
25.C. Sedimentation changes: sedimentation in the marine environment as a result of land
erosion by rainfall and rivers – decline in marine sedimentation as a result of water management
4
Piracy does not directly affect the marine environment, but is a significant social aspect of use of the marine environment.
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– effect of both types of change on marine and coastal habitats (including estuaries, deltas,
submarine canyons) – policies and capacity-building needs to control sedimentation changes.
Chapter 26.
Tourism
26.A. Location and scale of tourism (including cruise ships): employment – economic benefits
of tourism – cross-reference to marine biodiversity.
26.B. Contribution of tourism to problems of sewage and pollution (including from cruise ships)
(cross-reference to heading 19B (municipal waste water)).
26.C. Location and scale of other environmental problems of tourism (including habitat
disturbance and destruction).
26.D. Policies and capacity-building needs for managing the environmental impacts of tourism.
Chapter 27.
Desalination
Scale of desalination, its social and economic benefits and its environmental impacts.
Chapter 28.
Marine genetic resources
28.A. Current scale of research and exploitation.
28.B. Policies and capacity-building needs related to research and exploitation for marine
genetic resources.
Chapter 29.
Defence
29.A. Scale and location of the impacts of recurrent defence (naval, military and air force)
operations on the marine environment (including the scale of areas closed for defence
purposes).
29.B. The acoustic impact of recurrent defence operations on marine life.
29.C. The scale of dumping at sea of unwanted munitions and problems resulting from
dumped munitions.
Chapter 30.
Marine scientific research
30.A. Scale and location of marine scientific research – ARGO initiative.
30.B. Policies and capacity-building needs related to marine scientific research (including
capacity-building).
Chapter 31.
Conclusions on other human activities
Summary of the main issues (including capacity-building needs and information gaps) identified
in chapters 16 to 29.
Part VI – Assessment of marine biological diversity and habitats
Section A – Ecologically and biologically sensitive areas and vulnerable marine
ecosystems
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[These are types of areas and ecosystems which have already been identified at the global
level, including by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization, as needing special attention]
Chapter 32.
Coral (and other biogenic) reefs
Types, locations, scale, status and threats.
Chapter 33.
Mangroves, salt marsh and other macro-vegetation areas
Types, locations, scale, status and threats.
Chapter 34.
Seagrass and eel-grass beds
Types, locations, scale, status and threats.
Chapter 35.
Kelp forests
Types, locations, scale, status and threats.
Chapter 36.
Seamounts, deep-sea banks and plateaus
Locations, numbers, status and threats.
Chapter 37.
Hydrothermal vents
Locations, scale, status and threats.
Chapter 38.
Other types of EBSAs and VMEs
Types, locations, numbers and extent, status and threats.
Chapter 39.
Policies for the protection of EBSAs and VMEs
Policies and capacity-building needs for the protection of EBSAs and VMEs – including marine
protected areas, fisheries policies, shipping policies (including Special Areas and Particularly
Sensitive Sea Areas), Ramsar Convention wetlands.
Section B – Other species and habitats to which attention should be drawn
[To assess in sufficient detail all marine species and habitats would make the first integrated
assessment far too long. The aim would therefore be to identify and assess species and
habitats which call for attention at the global level, either because they raise issues beyond
those that can be handled at the national or regional level (such as species that migrate
between regions), or because national and regional efforts need outside support, or because the
issues are of global importance. The list of species and habitats to be covered can only be
settled when the criteria for selecting such species and habitats have been agreed. The
proposed workshops (see paragraph 22 of the Set of Options and Annex D) would be suitable
for discussing these criteria.]
Chapter 40.
Migratory species
40.A. Species depending on a range of regional ecosystems
(a) Migratory marine mammals: distribution, numbers, status and threats
(b) Sea turtles: distribution, numbers, status and threats
(c) Highly-migratory fish species: distribution, numbers, status and threats
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(d)
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Migratory sea-birds: distribution, numbers, status and threats.
40.B. Policies and capacity-building needs for the protection of migratory species.
Chapter 41.
Other threatened and endangered species
41.A. Criteria for identification.
41.B. Species, distributions, numbers, status and threats.
40.C. Policies and capacity-building needs for their protection.
Chapter 42.
Other threatened and endangered habitats
42.A. Criteria for identification.
42.B. Types of habitat, distributions, extent, status and threats.
42.C. Policies and capacity-building needs for their protection.
Section C - Summary
Chapter 43.
Summary
Summary of the main issues (including capacity-building needs and information gaps) identified
in chapters 32 to 42.
Part VII – Overall Assessment
Chapter 44.
Overall assessment of human impact on the oceans
Evaluations under different methods of assessing overall human impact on the oceans and
seas.
Chapter 45.
Overall value of the oceans to humans
Evaluations under different methods of the benefits accruing to humans from the oceans.
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