This event highlighted the top 10 reasons for the creation of a global network of marine reserves.

Noting that the oceans are in crisis and that less than 1% of the word’s oceans are fully protected, Richard Page, Greenpeace International, explained that the report, “Emergency Oceans Rescue Plan: Implementing the Marine Reserves Roadmap to Recovery” focuses on priority areas within country exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and in the high seas where immediate action should be taken to create networks of marine reserves.

He then outlined the top 10 reasons for the creation of a worldwide network of marine reserves, noting that it would: help the oceans withstand the impacts of climate change; benefit science; buffer declining tuna stocks; improve quality of human life around the globe; have fiscal benefits; fulfill CBD members’ pledge to establish such a network by 2012; and ensure a bountiful ocean for the future. He also emphasized that creating this network is possible.

Noting that the Japanese consume 25% of the world’s tuna and 80% of bluefin tuna, Wakao Hanaoka, Greenpeace, Japan, discussed, inter alia, the declining stocks of Pacific bluefin tuna in the Sea of Japan and bigeye and yellowfin tuna in the Pacific. He highlighted a map of the West and Central Pacific high seas areas that are candidate sites for marine reserves to reduce the mortality of declining tuna species and restrict illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Sam Leiva, Greenpeace, Chile, shared his experience of working with local fisherman towards the goal of closing 40% of the EEZ to fishing. He underscored the importance of involving local communities in developing these concepts.

Sophia Tsenikli, Greenpeace, Greece, urged COP-10 to establish a list of ecologically and biologically sensitive areas and support the target of ending destructive fishing practices and ensuring that all fisheries are managed sustainably by 2020.

Participants discussed: involving local fishing communities when creating marine reserves; accessing the correct data for pinpointing the right location for reserves; and the ease and difficulties and criteria and methodology for creating reserves.

This event was held to launch the publication “Protected Areas for the 21st Century: Lessons from UNDP/GEF’s Portfolio.”

Nik Sekhran, UNDP, explained that UNDP works with protected areas because of their important contribution to development. He said the goal of the publication is to provide guidance on how to design, manage and finance protected areas in a way that meets new global challenges.

Mark Zimsky, GEF, highlighted that GEF has invested US$1.89 billion in creating and managing protected areas and has played a catalytic role in bringing 10% of the world’s terrestrial areas under protection. He outlined two future focuses for GEF, namely to improve the sustainability of protected areas and mainstream biodiversity into the wider landscape.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, CBD Executive Secretary, thanked GEF and UNDP for their programme to provide targeted financial assistance for the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas.

Yannick Glemarec, Executive Coordinator, UNDP/GEF, said UNDP/GEF has supported 778 protected areas in 55 countries over the past six years. He provided examples to demonstrate the benefits of creating protected areas, including that the carbon storage potential of land in protected areas in Tanzania is up to 155 tons/ha, compared to 80 tons/ha in unprotected lands.

Sem Shikongo, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia, presented on the implications of climate change on Namibia’s protected area system. He also discussed challenges to expanding protected areas, which often border private farmland. He described methods to link parks and protected areas to communal area conservancies, with appropriate compensation for farmers.

Noting that Montenegro is a biodiversity hotspot in Europe, Milena Kapa, Ministry for Spatial Planning and Environment, Montenegro, described weaknesses in her country’s protected areas system and efforts to overcome them, including: establishing the country’s first two regional parks; constructing a geographic information system platform to improve decision making for design and management of protected areas; and establishing a learning platform for protected areas managers.

Adriana Dinu, UNDP, highlighted that protected areas are increasingly expected not only to provide biodiversity conservation benefits but also ecosystem services, livelihood benefits and climate change adaptation and mitigation opportunities. She said the UNDP/GEF/CBD publication provides recommendations to manage synergies and trade-offs between these benefits, including to: apply the precautionary principle; be explicit and transparent about trade-offs and synergies; develop resilience-based thresholds; develop management triggers and safeguards; and focus on areas with the greatest synergies and least trade-offs.

Participants discussed: the need for data to demonstrate links between improved finance and the effectiveness of protected areas; and the role of good governance in ensuring that poor people benefit from protected areas.