The inception workshop of the areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) Deep-Sea Fisheries under the Ecosystem Approach (DSF) Project was held virtually in two sessions using the video conferencing tool “Zoom” on 24 August 2020 and 26 August 2020. The workshop was attended by representatives and potential project partners, including seven Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), the GEF Secretariat and two industry organizations. The primary objective of the inception workshop was to update the project partners on the project’s scope, including objectives, components and outputs and to review the projects delivery structure, including the roles of the Implementing Agency and Executing Agency. The timeline for the development of the DSF Project was also discussed. The inception workshop participants took note and commented on the outputs and activities that are being developed by the project design team, recognizing that this is still work in progress which will require further discussions and inputs. The participants also took note of the respective roles of GEF implementing and executing agencies, but were unable to make suggestions as to suitable and acceptable executing agencies for the DSF Project. Participants took note of the DSF Project timeline, recognizing that it could be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), which comprise 64 percent of the ocean’s surface, contain ecosystems with marine resources and biodiversity of great ecological, socio economic and cultural importance. However, the complex management of the rich marine resources and biodiversity of the ABNJ requires international cooperation. This has improved since the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was adopted in 1982. Nevertheless, challenges remain if the responsible and sustainable use of these important ecosystems is to be achieved. The objective of the project was to promote effective global and regional coordination and to strengthen the capacities needed to achieve sustainable fisheries and biodiversity conservation in the ABNJ. This was to be achieved by ( i ) strengthening and broadening cross sectoral dialogue and policy coordination in ABNJ, (ii) increasing the capability of decision makers (especially those from developing countries) to participate in policy making processes for management and coordination of ABNJ activities and (iii) broadening the public understanding of threats to biodiversity, marine ecosystems and services related to the ABNJ.

From 10 to 12 April 2019, a group of international experts met in Rome to identify and evaluate the issues relating to existing and future possible implementation of rights-based management of high seas fisheries. The group reviewed the development of international law as it relates to the high seas fisheries. Particular emphasis was given to the Convention on the Law of the Sea and how it provides for access to high seas fisheries and the obligations this access involves and the implications for those wishing to enter fully prescribed fisheries. This assessment provided the starting point to the legal basis that allows Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) to manage harvesting entitlements to fish stocks or to effort, capacity, or habitat impact in their jurisdiction in a manner that ensures that the incentives for effective and efficient management from rights-based management (RBM) that are found in seas under national jurisdiction may also be obtained from high seas fisheries.

The publication documents the results of the review of the level of implementation of the FAO Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) by the fisheries management bodies in each of the different ABNJ regions. The review was designed to help identify future activities by the ABNJ Deep Sea Project to address gaps and capacity development and make recommendations to strengthen EAF among deep-sea fisheries management bodies and/or their members. The information to complete the EAF reviews was largely obtained from web-based materials. To assist with the accuracy of these desktop assessments, following initial drafting of each EAF background report and associated EAF assessment, both documents were sent to the respective RFMO secretariats. Comments and/or suggestions provided by the secretariats were then addressed with revised versions of the background reports and review assessments generated. Based on these revised reports, the comparative analyses were finalized and a full report was drafted. Being a desk-top assessment of the level of implementation of the EAF approach by each of the RFMO management bodies, the study had a number of caveats including only being able to measure systems and processes, not outcomes. A more complete assessment of EAF adoption and especially the outcomes would require direct involvement of the various stakeholders, including all relevant management, compliance and scientific bodies, contracting parties (CP), non-contracting parties (NCP), vessel owners, crews, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), etc.

The marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) comprises 40 percent of the earth’s surface, it covers 64 percent of the surface of the ocean and 95 percent of its volume. The Common Oceans ABNJ Program (2014-2019) was implemented by FAO as a concerted effort to bring various stakeholders to work together to manage and conserve the world’s common oceans.   The Program catalysed important transformational changes and practices in governance, and operational aspects of fisheries and their impact on biodiversity. There is encouraging evidence that these are being mainstreamed by key institutional actors and early trends of positive impact point to improvement in fish stocks health and in bycatch mitigation, starting by the quality and quantity of the information available. However, the Program lacked a proper programmatic approach and missed opportunities to foster synergies among projects and capitalize on knowledge management.