ABSTRACT

Biodiversity in the Seas: Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in Marine and Costal Habitats

By A. Charlotte de Fontaubert, David R. Downes and Tundi S. Agardy

A program of action for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (the Biodiversity Convention) was agreed to by parties to the Biodiversity Convention at their second Conference of the Parties (COP), held in Jakarta in 1995. This program, the Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Costal Biological Diversity (Jakarta Mandate), demonstrates that the Biodiversity Convention is an important legal tool for promoting the conservation of marine and costal biodiversity and the sustainable use of living marine and costal resources. This article is intended to help the Parties implement the Jakarta Mandate. Eight action items are identified, including; (1) institute integrated costal area management (ICAM), including community based costal resource management and the prevention and reduction of pollution from land-based sources; (2) establish and maintain marine protection areas for conservation and sustainable use; (3) use fisheries and other marine living resources in a sustainable manner; (4) ensure that mariculture operations are sustainable; (5) prevent introduction of, and control or eradicate harmful alien species; (6) identify priority components of biodiversity and monitor their status and threats to them; (7) build capacity to use and share the benefits from marine genetic resources; and (8) take responsibility for transboundary harm and global threats to marine biodiversity, for each item, specific recommendations are outlined to assist Parties to the Biodiversity Convention in implementation. This ambitious set of actions reflects the Biodiversity Convention's comprehensive approach that links conservation and development in every sector affecting biodiversity. Implementation will require major changes in the policies and programs of all Parties to the Biodiversity Convention. Lastly, five general principles are established in order to enhance the effectiveness of implementation in each of the eight action areas. These five principles include; (A) wide consultation and public participation; (B) regional and global cooperation combined with national action; (C) transfer of technology and financing from developed to developing countries; (D) integrated implementation of all action items as much as possible, recognizing the existing limits on capacity; and (E) a precautionary approach. It is viewed that adherence to these five principles will greatly help Parties implement the convention in each of the eight action areas, resulting in an effective application of the Biodiversity Convention in costal and marine environments.