Pre-workshop Summary: Area Based Planning Tools in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)

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1 Pre-workshop Summary: Area Based Planning Tools in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) 1

2 Suggested citation UNEP-WCMC (2016). Pre-workshop Summary: Area Based Planning Tools in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). Cambridge (UK): UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre The United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is the specialist biodiversity assessment centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world s foremost intergovernmental environmental organisation. The Centre has been in operation for over 30 years, combining scientific research with practical policy advice. Distribution: This publication may be reproduced for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission, provided acknowledgement to the source is made. Reuse of any figures is subject to permission from the original rights holders. No use of this publication may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose without permission in writing from UNEP. Applications for permission, with a statement of purpose and extent of reproduction, should be sent to the Director, UNEP-WCMC, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, UK. Disclaimer: The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP, contributory organisations or editors. The designations employed and the presentations of material in this report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or contributory organisations, editors or publishers concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries or the designation of its name, frontiers or boundaries. The mention of a commercial entity or product in this publication does not imply endorsement by UNEP. 2

3 1. Workshop background The purpose of this summary is to provide background information in advance of the workshop on Area Based Planning tools and Regional Cooperation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda taking place on October 2016, in Mahe, Seychelles. This summary is of particular relevance to the break-out group session of the workshop entitled ABP Tools and Ecosystem Services, to be held on the 14 th of October. The workshop has been organized by the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, in collaboration with UNEP-WCMC and GRID-Arendal, as part of the implementation of the ABNJ Deep Seas Project. The aim of the meeting is among others to test the applicability of area-based planning tools to Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction and to share lessons learnt from regional experiences. Further sessions of this workshop are organized in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Institute of Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). 2. Introduction Although some sectoral Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction management measures exist, at present there is no single overarching mechanism to ensure that important or vulnerable deep sea biodiversity is comprehensively protected. This situation has led to calls for strengthened protection measures for deep sea ecosystems which support enhanced sustainability of resource use in ABNJ. At present, there is limited use of area based planning tools within ABNJ. In contrast, within Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) their use is much more common. Therefore, as part of the ABNJ Deep Seas Project, we will: 1) review lessons from the existing use of area based planning tools in ABNJ; and 2) review how area based planning tools commonly used within EEZs could be applied in ABNJ. The second review will identify which tools are best suited for use in ABNJ and any pre-conditions needed for the effective use. In order to do this, we need to consider the different characteristics of EEZs and ABNJ that might affect the successful transferability of a tool and consider the criteria against which we assess the transferability of each tool. The information provided in this summary supports a session on Breakout group: ABP tools and Ecosystem Approach during the Area Based Planning Workshop in the Seychelles. 3. Area based planning tools Area-based planning is a process through which human activities are regulated in a defined area. Area based planning tools are approaches or systems that support the way in which planning decisions are taken. In broad terms, there are two main types of area based planning tool: 1) Framework tools; and 2) Supporting tools. Framework tools These describe the overall approach taken by an area based planning process, and as such provide a conceptual planning framework. Many framework tools are multi-sector, such as 3

4 Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), ocean zoning, and Integrated Coastal Management (ICM), whereas other examples are predominantly single sector based, such as fisheries management, the regulation of seabed mining, and marine conservation through the establishment of Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks (although sector-specific tools can provide benefits for multiple sectors). Some framework tools may still be emerging, such as dynamic ocean management, rather than fully fledged and well-understood approaches. Supporting tools These are used to provide information to facilitate specific area based planning decisions within the context of an area based planning framework tool. In comparison with framework tools, supporting tools are usually data-driven and analytical. Supporting tools can be further grouped according to their particular role as either assessment tools or decision support systems: o o Assessment tools are processes or analyses used to provide critical information through collating or transforming existing information. The results from assessment tools may be used as stand-alone information or be used within a decision support tool to facilitate further analysis by the user. Decision support systems tend to provide a mechanism for efficient computation or problem solving in order to deliver the objectives of a framework tool. Decision support systems could include optimized selection of areas, trade-off analyses, or future scenario building. Decision support systems are often designed to perform analyses of assessment tool outputs in order to support decisions by managers or non-technical people (for example, the creation of ecosystem service trade-off analysis scenarios). Decision support systems exist in many well-known forms, as they have often been custom designed as interactive software-based packages for easy use, such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Marxan 1, or Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services (ARIES) The applicability of area based planning tools to ABNJ In order consider the applicability of area based planning tools typically used in EEZs to ABNJ, it is important to be able to understand the specific characteristics of ABNJ and how they might differ from those found in EEZs. The contextual differences between EEZs and ABNJ will influence the extent to which a tool that appears to work well in EEZs could be transferred to ABNJ. For the purposes of this study, it is assumed that ABNJ differ from EEZs in the following ways: The legal and institutional framework in ABNJ is dictated by the High Seas provisions of UNCLOS not national law and/or regional agreements

5 There is a limited range of stakeholders and little public influence in ABNJ compared to within EEZs. There are significant geological features such as seamounts and mid-ocean ridges in ABNJ that are not typically present in EEZs. The greater depth and distinctive physical characteristics of water in ABNJ generates distinctive oceanic conditions. The habitats and species in ABNJ have evolved to reflect deep cold ecosystems and are generally slow growing. These differences (and others) raise the possibility that area based planning tools that are used effectively within EEZs may not be equally applicable to ABNJ. Therefore in order to practically manage our current and future resource needs while safeguarding biodiversity in ABNJ, we need to explore the strengths and weaknesses of both framework and supporting area based planning tools and undertake a rigorous evaluation of their applicability to ABNJ. Potential criteria to assess their applicability will be discussed in the workshop, but may include the suitability of the tools to ABNJ oceanographic conditions, suitability to the ABNJ legal and institutional environment, suitability to the mix of activities and pressures found in ABNJ, ability to enforce any associated measures, and cost. 5

6 ABNJ Deep Seas Project The Sustainable Fisheries Management and Biodiversity Conservation of Deep Sea Living Resources in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Project (ABNJ Deep Seas Project for short) is a five year project supported by the Global Environment Facility, and implemented jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and UN Environment (UNEP). The UNEP project component is executed though the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The Project is designed to enhance sustainability in the use of deep-sea living resources and biodiversity conservation in the ABNJ through the systematic application of an ecosystem approach. It brings together over 20 partners who work on deep-sea fisheries and conservation issues in the ABNJ globally. The partnership includes regional organizations responsible for the management of deep-sea fisheries, Regional Seas Programmes, the fishing industry and international organizations. The Project aims to: strengthen policy and legal frameworks for sustainable fisheries and biodiversity conservation in the ABNJ deep seas; reduce adverse impacts on VMEs and enhanced conservation and management of components of EBSAs; improve planning and adaptive management for deep sea fisheries in ABNJ; and develop and test methods for area based planning. The ABNJ Deep Seas Project started in September 2015 and is one of four projects under the GEF Common Oceans Programme. More information is available from Project Partners 6