Issues regarding the tools used by the IOC for the management and protection of marine and coastal

biodiversity

Dr. Luis ValdésHead of Ocean Sciences of the Intergovernmental

Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO

Brest, November 13th 2012

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Degradation of habitats – reduction of biodiversityLambshead (1993) that about 160,000 marine species have been described

CoML in 2010 estimated that the known marine species is nearly 250,000

Total number of species for macrofauna could reach 1 million species

Microbes could be 10 million species

3

Degradation of habitats – reduction of biodiversity

Loss of coastal habitatsLoss of revenueLoss of food for coastal communities

4

OCEAN

TOOLS

Coastal & marine

biodiversity

CON-VENTIONS PROJECTS

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Marine Protected Areas – provide an effective mechanism to combine long term conservation of marine resources with economic development and food security, providing opportunities for coastal communities to generating income, creating jobs, and providing for recreation and tourism.

Tools - management & protection of marine biodiversity

UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme – places that seek to recondile conservation of biological and cultural diversity and economic and social development

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Tools - management & protection of marine biodiversity

ICAM+MSP

Example for MSP

7

Tools - management & protection of marine biodiversity

8

Conventions to manage & protect marine biodiversity

AND SOME MORE…

UN Agreement for the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks

GOBI – Global OceanBiodiversity Initiativeis an international partnership advancing the scientific basis for conserving biological diversity in the deep seas and open oceans.

9

Projects & partnershipsto manage & protect marine biodiversity

GCRMN – Global reef monitoringwas a major themewhen ICRI was launched in 1994. The GCRMN aims to improve management & sustainable conservation of coral reefs for people

ESF Marine Board – On-going vision group:Marine Biodiversityhighlights recent achievements across marine biodiversity research, explores urgent scientific questions and suggests new research and management activities to address,

taking into account the current EU policy framework and international agreements and conventions.

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Where are we?

• Increasing awareness for biodiversity loss

• Several tools to share information and distribute it among policy makers and the public exist

• International treaties for sustaining and restore coastal and marine biodiversity were signed

• Action takes place in small scale interventions and international cooperation

Conclusions

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Where do we have to go?

• Use and promote the tools we have

• Develop new platforms

• Implement the conventions we signed, concretize the goals

• Inform the public and policy makers

• Increase the awareness to change the behavior

Conclusions

Valdés, L, L. Fonseca and K. Tedesco. 2010. Oceanography, 23: 160-175