NEAFC and the OSPAR Commission have delivered a breakthrough initiative by announcing plans to promote mutual cooperation towards the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the North-East Atlantic.
For the first time in the North-East Atlantic, the Commissions in charge of fisheries management and protection of the marine environment are working together. Previously they could have been seen as working towards diverse goals. But now a converging vision of a healthier North-East Atlantic has encouraged them to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The MoU covers not only national maritime areas, but also areas beyond national jurisdiction. It is essential to stress the geographic overlap between the areas covered by both Conventions, from the North Pole to the Azores. The shared goal is to conserve living resources of the sea.
The two Commissions plan to do this by:
• Ensuring there is a free flow of information between NEAFC and OSPAR
• Highlighting other human activities that may effect the marine environment
• Pro-actively undertaking spatial planning
• By working together to enhance knowledge and understanding of fish and other marine species populations, abundance and distribution in order to better protect them
Kjartan Hoydal, Secretary of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission and Professor David Johnson, Executive Secretary of the OSPAR Commission say:
“This is a momentous occasion. Our Commissions have taken a serious step towards our common goal of protecting the diversity of marine resources at the same time sustaining our fishing industry.”
