Advancing tuna catch allocation negotiations: an analysis of sovereign rights and fisheries access arrangements

Regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) determine conservation measures for transboundary fsheries resources. They are also a forum for collective action toward the management of marine resources. One of the most complex and controversial aspects of this process is the allocation of catches between RFMO members. There are a variety of processes that can be used for catch allocation. In recent years, there has been a trend in some RFMOs towards establishing a system of criteria or indicators to determine the volume or percentage of catch that should be allocated to each RFMO member. Establishing such a system is challenging and the position of countries negotiating at RFMOs is also shaped by fisheries access arrangements. The debate on allocation has been ongoing at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission for more than a decade, where one key point of disagreement is the treatment of historical catch taken in the waters of a coastal State. On the one hand, coastal states claim that catches historically taken in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ) should be attributed to them based on their sovereign rights over living resources. On the other, some fishing countries from outside the region claim catch history based on fishing conducted in the coastal State’s waters pursuant to access agreements. We analysed UNCLOS articles, publicly available fisheries access agreements, and national legislation to unpack the linkage between fisheries access arrangements and catch allocation discussions, and we also explored examples from other regions and RFMOs. We point out that the sovereign rights of coastal states over their EEZ provide a strong basis for allocation negotiations. In the absence of specific agreements to the contrary, any catch history that arises from foreign vessels fishing inside the EEZ should be attributed to the coastal State. We also argue that it is time for members of RFMOs—and especially of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission—to move beyond the historical catch debate. They need to resolve their differences or consider other ways to allocate participatory rights in shared fisheries

A geopolitical-economy of distant water fisheries access arrangements

In recent decades, fishing fleets and effort have grown in aggregate throughout the waters of lower-income coastal countries, much of which is carried out by vessels registered in higher-income countries. Fisheries access arrangements (FAAs) underpin this key trend in ocean fisheries and have their origins in UNCLOS’s promise to establish resource ownership as a mechanism to increase benefits to newly independent coastal and island states. Coastal states use FAAs to permit a foreign state, firm, or industry association to fish within its waters. This paper provides a conceptual approach for understanding FAAs across the global ocean and for exploring their potential to deliver on the promise of UNCLOS. Illustrated with the findings from multiple case studies, we advance understanding of FAAs by developing a geopolitical-economy of access that attends to the combination of contingent and context-specific economic, ecologic, and geopolitical forces that shape the terms, conditions and practices of the FAAs shaping this persistent phenomenon of higher-income industrial fleets fishing throughout lower-income countries’ waters

Survey data of public awareness on climate change and the value of marine and coastal ecosystems

The long-term provision of ocean ecosystem services depends on healthy ecosystems and effective sustainable management. Understanding public opinion about marine and coastal ecosystems is important to guide decision-making and inform specific actions. However, available data on public perceptions on the interlinked effects of climate change, human impacts and the value and management of marine and coastal ecosystems are rare. This dataset presents raw data from an online, self-administered, public awareness survey conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 which yielded 709 responses from 42 countries. The survey was released in four languages (English, French, Spanish and Italian) and consisted of four main parts: (1) perceptions about climate change; (2) perceptions about the value of, and threats to, coasts, oceans and their wildlife, (3) perceptions about climate change response; and (4) socio-demographic information. Participation in the survey was voluntary and all respondents provided informed consent after reading a participant information form at the beginning of the survey. Responses were anonymous unless respondents chose to provide contact information. All identifying information has been removed from the dataset. The dataset can be used to conduct quantitative analyses, especially in the area of public perceptions of the interlinkages between climate change, human impacts and options for sustainable management in the context of marine and coastal ecosystems. The dataset is provided with this article, including a copy of the survey and participant information forms in all four languages, data and the corresponding codebook.This study received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement MaCoBioS (No 869710). The funders had no role in any part of the research process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chapitre 3. Les corridors, passage obligé ? L’exemple malgache

Le maintien ou la restauration des corridors dans le but d’améliorer la connectivité entre les espaces est devenu, depuis le Ve congrès mondial sur les parcs qui s’est tenu à Durban en 2003, un axe essentiel des nouvelles politiques de conservation. La mise en réseau des aires protégées et le maintien ou la réhabilitation de corridors doivent permettre de pallier les défauts des anciennes stratégies de conservation, basées sur la protection d’espaces isolés les uns des autres, et les effets d..

Epidémies de peste urbaine à Majunga, côte ouest de Madagascar : résumé

In August 1991, an epidemic of urban plague broke out in Majunga, a port on the western coast of Madagascar. As the first resurgence of the disease in this area in 70 years, the episode was a dramatic reminder of the ubiquity of the disease and layed low the falsely reassuring idea that plague was confined to well known centers of high altitude. After the epidemic had claimed 12 victims, 21 patients suffering from bubonic plague and 7 cases of pneumonic plague, it was brought under control by treating exposed subjects and introducing antivectorial measures. Transmission to man continued in the shape of sporadic cases of bubonic plague until April 1992 and a total number of 41 probable or confirmed bacteriological cases (not counting those deceased) were recorded out of 2020 suspected cases. The history of the disease related almost all these cases to the highly populated and unsanitary neighbourhood of Marolaka, situated on the edge of the Betsiboka estuary, and which has kept semi-rural characteristics. Its murine population had practically disappeared, decimated by an epizootic in early July. Out of the two captured sets of two #Rattus rattus (41 fleas per animal) and two #R. norvegicus each, three were carriers of the bacillus. Numerous shrew-mice (#Suncus murinus) occupied the zone and three tested positive to the direct bacteriological test. For the insectivore, the mean #Xenopsylla cheopis index 4 (n=16), rising to 26 in positive animals. The discovery of a plague infested rat carrying #X. cheopis and the persistence of #P. irritans after insecticide treatments, led us to doubt the efficiency of the antivectorial fight that had been undertaken. Risk of endemization was referred to. After a period of quiet of 3 years, isolated cases were detected in March and May 1995, followed by a new epidemic between July 1995 and March 1996. 617 clinical suspects of bubonic plague were notified... (D'après résumé d'auteur

Marine and coastal ecosystems and climate change : a public awareness survey

16th International Conference Littoral22, 12-16 September 2022, Campus de Caparica (Portugal).Hundreds of millions of people worldwide directly rely on marine and coastal ecosystems for their food, livelihoods and ways of life, yet these ecosystems are subject to a variety of pressures (UNEP, 2006; Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2015; Korpinen et al., 2019). These pressures include climate change - one of the most urgent challenges societies are currently facing, with “long-lasting or irreversible” adverse consequences predicted as a result (IPCC 2018). Healthy marine and coastal ecosystems are a pre-requisite for the continuing delivery of ecosystem services, such as the provision of food, climate regulation and carbon storage. Therefore, it is critical to achieve a more sustainable management and effective protection of such valuable ecosystems. Policy makers are increasingly aware of the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation on our coasts and oceans. As public opinion influence decision-making on the actions to take and contribute to the success of their implementation (Rasmussen et al., 2017), it is important to understand how well informed the public is about climate change impacts and solutions in marine and coastal systems. In recent years, significant efforts have been made by the scientific community to raise public awareness of climate change and the links between healthy marine and coastal ecosystems and ecosystem service provision, including their role in mitigating and adapting to climate change (Barracosa et al., 2019). However, there has been little consideration of how the public perceives the interlinkages between climate change and its effects on marine and coastal ecosystems. Instead, most efforts have addressed climate change perceptions (van Valkengoed et al., 2022) Mildenberger et al., 2019) and marine threats perceptions (Ankamah-Yeboah et al., 2020; Lotze et al., 2018), separately. In the scope of the research project on “Marine Coastal ecosystems Biodiversity and Services in a changing world” (MaCoBioS) funded by the European Commission, people’s views on climate change, the value of marine and coastal ecosystems and the threats facing they face, as well as potential management options were investigated.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Marine and coastal ecosystems and climate change : dataset from a public awareness survey

The dataset is the result of an self-administered online survey on public perceptions about climate change, the value of marine and coastal ecosystems, human impacts on them and their management. The survey was released in four languages, English, French, Spanish and Italian ('survey' folder). Potential respondents were provided with a participant information form, also available in four languages ('participant information form' folder). The final dataset comprises a total of 709 respondents. The dataset contains mostly numerical coding, except text entries in 9 columns. Version 2 of this dataset presents all responses in English. The corresponding codebook provides the questions and coding information.In the scope of the MaCoBioS research project (funded under EU Horizon 2020 grant agreement No 869710), this survey aims to better understand public perceptions about how climate change may affect the sustainable management of marine and coastal resources. The results of this survey will inform our work on developing clear policy advice on how to manage resilient marine and coastal ecosystems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio