UNEP: EM Policy Series

This sixth issue is titled "Restoring the natural foundation to sustain a Green Economy: A century-long journey for Ecosystem Management,” and focuses on key actions for the transition period of the next 20 years, after UNCSD (Rio+20).

CMS: Importance of Ecological Networks

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) has published,  "Living Planet: Connected Planet - Preventing the End of the World's Wildlife Migrations through Ecological Networks" highlighing the importance of ecological connectivity and corridors, and the threats they face from human development, exploitation of natural resources and other factors. Therein, the authors suggest that the Mean Species Abundance, which measures both the diversity of species and their numbers, will decrease from 0.70 in 2000, to about 0.63 by 2050. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this is equivalent to losing all fauna and flora in an area of 9.1 million square kilometers, approximately the size of the US or China.

During its launch at COP-10, Elizabeth Mrema, CMS Executive Secretary, also stressed the importance of international cooperation to manage large transboundary networks. Some of the largest countries are not Parties to the CMS, which creates challenges for protecting migratory species worldwide.

UNEP: EBM for Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

UNEP has launched a new training resource: “Taking Steps toward Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-based Management – An Introductory Guide” laying out a series of principles to guide management towards long-term sustainability of marine and coastal ecosystems with three main sections:
1: Making the case for EBM – Why and how is change necessary?;
2: Examining the core elements of EBM;
3: Moving towards EBM: Visioning – Planning – Implementation.

The target audience of the Guide includes planners and decision-makers in local, national and regional governments and communities across a broad spectrum of interests and uses and is not intended to be a technical manual or textbook, but rather an introduction to EBM principles and ‘thinking’.

GFCM-35:Recommendations and possible revision of Agreement

The 35th session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) met from 9-14 May at FAO/HQ in Rome (Italy). Delegates adopted recommendations on: the exploitation of red coral; reducing incidental by-catch of seabirds in fisheries; the by-catch of sea turtles in fisheries; and fisheries measures for the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus). 

It was also decided to to set up a task force toward a possible revision of the GFCM Agreement, with a view to more effectively implementing the precautionary approach and ecosystem approach to fisheries management, including relevant compliance and enforcement mechanisms. Lastly, the need for greater involvement of GFCM in the field of aquaculture, as well as the need to reinforce fisheries governance and scientific cooperation in the Black Sea, also were addressed.

Report of the session