The Blue Economy: Plenty of Potential

Pacific islanders depend on coastal and offshore fisheries for food, jobs and revenue. For example, offshore tuna fishing licenses and access fees can account for a large share of government revenues: 63 per cent in Kiribati, 30 per cent in Tuvalu, and 18 per cent in Nauru (Bell et al. 2015). But growing populations and demand for seafood are resulting in unsustainable catch rates and ecosystem degradation. A sustainable ‘blue economy’ will need better fisheries management that is integrated with other production sectors, and alternative economic activities that reduce ecosystem pressures. This In Brief considers pressure points and policy pathways to achieve better development outcomes.AusAI

What a tangled net: unravelling the international complications of tuna conservation

The eighth meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission concluded in Guam on Friday 30 March 2012. Five hundred delegates from more than 40 countries argued for a week about how to reduce overfishing in the Western and Central Pacific tuna fisheries and sustainably manage the world’s largest tuna fisheries. Scientific assessments clearly recommend urgent action to address overfishing and reduce fishing mortality for bigeye tuna, halt any increases in fishing mortality for yellowfin and probably albacore, reduce fishing mortality of juvenile bigeye and yellowfin, and develop precautionary limits for skipjack. If these actions are not taken the stocks of these species will see further declines for some stocks and potentially see overfishing start to occur for others. But despite clear advice from the Commission’s scientific committee that further measures were required to address overfishing of bigeye tuna, the Commission couldn’t agree how members should distribute the “burden of conservation”

Ocean Diplomacy: The Pacific Island Countries\u27 Campaign to the UN for an Ocean Sustainable Development Goal

In this article we examine how Pacific Island Countries (pics) successfully championed a stand-alone Ocean Sustainable Development Goal (sdg) goal at the United Nations (un). We analyse how the un Post-2015 development process provided pics with a unique opportunity to use their experience with collective diplomacy and regional oceans governance to propose this international goal. In this article we establish how pics\u27 national and regional quest to strengthen their sovereign rights over marine resources motivated their diplomatic efforts for an Ocean sdg. The campaign was a significant political achievement, positioning these Large Ocean Island States (lois) as global ocean guardians. We critically evaluate the effectiveness of the pics\u27 diplomatic campaign to secure an international commitment for an Ocean sdg. The pics\u27 advocacy for Goal 14 under Agenda 2030 has enhanced their political effectiveness in the un by improving their recognition by other States as leaders in oceans governance. We suggest their Ocean sdg campaign forms part of a distinct and continuing brand of oceans diplomacy from Oceania

A rapid assessment of co-benefits and trade-offs among Sustainable Development Goals

Achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) results in many ecological, social, and economic consequences that are inter-related. Understanding relationships between sustainability goals and determining their interactions can help prioritize effective and efficient policy options. This paper presents a framework that integrates existing knowledge from literature and expert opinions to rapidly assess the relationships between one SDG goal and another. Specifically, given the important role of the oceans in the world's social-ecological systems, this study focuses on how SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and the targets within that goal, contributes to other SDG goals. This framework differentiates relationships based on compatibility (co-benefit, trade-off, neutral), the optional nature of achieving one goal in attaining another, and whether these relationships are context dependent. The results from applying this framework indicate that oceans SDG targets are related to all other SDG goals, with two ocean targets (of seven in total) most related across all other SDG goals. Firstly, the ocean SDG target to increase economic benefits to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries for sustainable marine uses has positive relationships across all SDGs. Secondly, the ocean SDG target to eliminate overfishing, illegal and destructive fishing practices is a necessary pre-condition for achieving the largest number of other SDG targets. This study highlights the importance of the oceans in achieving sustainable development. The rapid assessment framework can be applied to other SDGs to comprehensively map out the subset of targets that are also pivotal in achieving sustainable development

Enhancing cooperative responses by regional fisheries management organisations to climate-driven redistribution of tropical Pacific tuna stocks

Climate change is predicted to alter the distributions of tropical tuna stocks in the Pacific Ocean. Recent modelling projects significant future shifts in tuna biomass from west to east, and from national jurisdictions to high seas areas. As the distributions of these stocks change, the relevant regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs)—the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)—will need to develop an expanded framework for cooperation and collaboration to fulfil their conservation and management responsibilities under international law. The key elements of a possible expanded framework for cooperation can be developed, and fundamental areas for collaboration identified, by applying and adapting principles established in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, and the constituent instruments of the RFMOs themselves. Our analysis reveals a wide range of important issues requiring cooperation, and three clear priorities. First, a formal mechanism for cooperation is needed to enable effective and efficient decision-making and action by the two RFMOs on key issues. Second, further cooperation is required in scientific research and modelling to better understand the biology and distributions of Pacific tuna stocks and how they will respond to climate change, and to inform stock assessments and harvest strategies. Third, the RFMOs must cooperate to define appropriate limits on fishing for each stock in a way that ensures they are compatible across the two organisations, taking into account their different members and management regimes

Social equity is key to sustainable ocean governance

Calls to address social equity in ocean governance are expanding. Yet ‘equity’ is seldom clearly defined. Here we present a framework to support contextually-informed assessment of equity in ocean governance. Guiding questions include: (1) Where and (2) Why is equity being examined? (3) Equity for or amongst Whom? (4) What is being distributed? (5) When is equity considered? And (6) How do governance structures impact equity? The framework supports consistent operationalization of equity, challenges oversimplification, and allows evaluation of progress. It is a step toward securing the equitable ocean governance already reflected in national and international commitments

Linking capacity development to GOOS monitoring networks to achieve sustained ocean observation

Developing enduring capacity to monitor ocean life requires investing in people and their institutions to build infrastructure, ownership, and long-term support networks. International initiatives can enhance access to scientific data, tools and methodologies, and develop local expertise to use them, but without ongoing engagement may fail to have lasting benefit. Linking capacity development and technology transfer to sustained ocean monitoring is a win-win proposition. Trained local experts will benefit from joining global communities of experts who are building the comprehensive Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). This two-way exchange will benefit scientists and policy makers in developing and developed countries. The first step toward the GOOS is complete: identification of an initial set of biological Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) that incorporate the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Essential Biological Variables (EBVs), and link to the physical and biogeochemical EOVs. EOVs provide a globally consistent approach to monitoring where the costs of monitoring oceans can be shared and where capacity and expertise can be transferred globally. Integrating monitoring with existing international reporting and policy development connects ocean observations with agreements underlying many countries' commitments and obligations, including under SDG 14, thus catalyzing progress toward sustained use of the ocean. Combining scientific expertise with international capacity development initiatives can help meet the need of developing countries to engage in the agreed United Nations (UN) initiatives including new negotiations for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, and the needs of the global community to understand how the ocean is changing

Implementing Oceans Governance in the Pacific Islands Region - Regional Solutions to National Challenges

The Pacific islands region encompasses a unique grouping of some of the world\u27s smallest countries surrounded by a vast maritime estate. The combined exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Pacific island States are home to the world\u27s richest and largest tuna fisheries. The significance of these EEZs, and the rights and responsibilities attributed to coastal States by the Law of the Sea, assign a critical role to Pacific island States in the development and implementation of oceans governance throughout this region. The Pacific island States have established a number of cooperative agreements and institutions to support the management and conservation of these tuna fisheries and are a critical membership bloc of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Despite these arrangements overfishing and overcapacity now threaten the long term sustainability of some of these tuna fisheries and significantly lower the benefits available to coastal and distant water fishing States. These sustainability and economic concerns require national and regional policy and regulatory responses that are challenging to conceptualise, negotiate and implement. While regional arrangements are inherently necessary due to the migratory nature of tuna stocks, effective implementation primarily falls to the coastal and flag State governments. This requires effective institutions and governance at the national level and the political will to implement, at times, contentious and difficult decisions. The sustainable management and profitable development of the region\u27s tuna fisheries is the key ocean governance challenge for the Pacific islands region in the short and medium term. Resolving these challenges is fundamental to the long term future of the region and its ability to implement oceans governance across all resource and conservation concerns. This paper identifies some key implementation challenges facing Pacific island States and proposes a comprehensive new sub-regional approach to cooperative management that will be ultimately required for the Pacific islands States to effectively implement their coastal State obligations and sustainably manage fishing for tuna within their EEZs