These workshops held in the Western Pacific Ocean, in Phonpei and Port Moresby the 23th and 28th of January 2019, are part of the research that International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is coordinating with support provided by the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project to move towards the use of biodegradable FADs. The initiative addresses some of the challenges facing the fishing sector by implementing best practice solutions to reduce the amount of plastic used to construct FAD´s structures, with the aim to contribute to achieving responsible, efficient and sustainable fisheries and biodiversity conservation.

This publication presents the outcome of a meeting between the FAO/UNEP ABNJ Deep-seas and Biodiversity project and the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative. It focuses on the impacts of climatic changes on demersal fisheries, and the interactions of these fisheries with other species and vulnerable marine ecosystems. Regional fisheries management organizations rely on scientific information to develop advice to managers. In recent decades, climate change has been a focus largely as a unidirectional forcing over decadal timescales. However, changes can occur abruptly when critical thresholds are crossed. Moreover, distribution changes are expected as populations shift from existing to new areas. Hence, there is a need for new monitoring programmes to help scientists understand how these changes affect productivity and biodiversity.

A number of analyses have been undertaken to inform the development of a methodology to support application of cross-sectoral area-based planning in areas beyond national jurisdiction by parties to Regional Seas Conventions and their Secretariat. This report constitutes one such analysis and explores four case study regions in which area-based planning has occurred in areas beyond national jurisdiction: Eastern Central (EC) Pacific; Mediterranean; North East (NE) Atlantic; and Southern Ocean. The four case study regions demonstrate a variety of different contexts and methods for area-based planning in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The third Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting of the ABNJ Deep Seas Project was held at WCMC headquarters in Cambridge, United Kingdom from 17-18 April 2018. The meeting was attended by representatives of 13 project partners, including the FAO and UNEP-WCMC. The primary objective of this PSC meeting was to discuss the results of the Mid-Term Review (MTR), which covered the time period from the project start date to December 2017.

Business plan to support the improvement of the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) small-scale fishery in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, Ecuador. Developed as part of the GEF-funded, World Bank-implemented Ocean Partnerships for Sustainable Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation Project, a sub-project of the Common Oceans ABNJ Program led by UN-FAO.