Deep-sea protection: coordinate efforts.

The plight of deep-sea ecosystems in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) has been persistently overlooked. As a consequence, they remain very poorly protected despite calls for action dating back more than a decade. In 2002, the United Nations General Assembly called upon intergovernmental organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the UN Secretariat itself to urgently consider means to reduce risks to the biodiversity of seamounts and other vulnerable deep-sea habitats within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ([ 1 ][1]). Since then, various international and regional bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Seabed Authority (ISA), and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) began exploring measures and regulations pertaining to shipment; oil, gas, and mineral extraction; and fishing and trawling ([ 2 ][2]). However, these efforts have been slow to materialize, in addition to lacking effective coordination. Therefore, we praise the call by K. J. Mengerink et al. (“A call for deep-ocean stewardship,” Policy Forum, 16 May, p. [696][3]) for the UN General Assembly to consider the resolution of governance issues of the ABNJ as a priority in its 2015 deliberations. States agreed during the Rio+20 Conference to address the issue of conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of ABNJ ([ 3 ][4]). This includes a call for the UN General Assembly to consider the wisdom of establishing an international instrument under the UNCLOS to overcome the lack of coordination between different intergovernmental organizations and their respective mandates. Such an instrument could become more effective in promoting comprehensive oceans governance reform within the framework of an already established convention, together with fostering complementarity among relevant organizations. We also recognize the paucity of funding to generate baseline, protection, and mitigation actions. At the same time, we question whether the multiplication of funding mechanisms would be practical or even desirable. We believe that the finance question should complement the resolution of the key governance issues, while building on existing platforms. 1. [↵][5] United Nations, A/RES/57/141 ([www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/57/141&Lang=E][6]). 2. [↵][7] 1. E. B. Barbier 2. et al ., Nature 505, 475 (2014). [OpenUrl][8][CrossRef][9][PubMed][10][Web of Science][11] 3. [↵][12] United Nations, The Future We Want ([www.uncsd2012.org/thefuturewewant.html][13]). [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1251458 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [6]: http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/57/141&Lang=E [7]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [8]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNature%26rft.volume%253D505%26rft.spage%253D475%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1038%252F505475a%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24459714%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1038/505475a&link_type=DOI [10]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24459714&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F344%2F6190%2F1352.atom [11]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000329995000012&link_type=ISI [12]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text" [13]: http://www.uncsd2012.org/thefuturewewant.html