Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
A relatively new trend, documented in the CBD 4th National Reports, was the devel-
opment of comprehensive, large-scale (bioregional or large marine ecosystem scale) na-
tional and regional IMCAM plans that consider ecosystems, species, and habitats, as well
as human uses and needs. Some examples of these include plans by Norway for integrated
management of all maritime areas based on the ecosystem approach; integrated oceans
management undertaken by Canada in five Large Oceans Management Areas (LOMAs);
science-based bioregional plans developed by Australia which have informed the devel-
opment of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas; and the Sulu-
Sulawesi Seas Ecoregion management efforts, jointly undertaken by the Philippines, In-
donesia, and Malaysia. This trend also encompasses an increasing number of marine spa-
tial planning efforts, for example in the Baltic Sea, China, St Kitts and Nevis, Domin-
ican Republic, Belgium, Norway, and Germany (CBD,
2010
). While the examples cited
above are far from comprehensive, they are a sign of a growing trend in considering lar-
ger ocean areas as the basis for management. This trend is also evident in the increasing
attention afforded to improving the management of marine areas beyond national jurisdic-
tion, including through CBD efforts to identify Ecologically and Biologically Significant
Areas (EBSAs), and the complementary efforts under FAO to identify Vulnerable Marine
Ecosystems (VMEs). It should be noted here that while VMEs are identified and managed
by RFMOs, there is, at the present time, no single designated management mechanism for
EBSAs, given that the CBD mandate only extends to identifying such areas .
