Recognition of ecosystem-based management principles in key documents of the seabed mining regime: implications and further recommendations

Abstract

New human uses on the marine environment, such as deep-sea mining (DSM), have necessitated the adoption of more holistic approaches such as ecosystem-based management (EBM) to secure sustainable development. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the rules, regulations, and procedures adopted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) represent the main regulatory framework to govern DSM activities. This study aimed to examine whether UNCLOS and ISA documents include references to EBM principles, and if these references vary in documents through time. Following a literature review, 26 EBM principles were collated into 8 general categories, and their adherence to 5 key documents related to the DSM regime was analysed. Results demonstrated a trend in recognizing EBM principles in documents over time, especially in the Draft Regulations for Exploitation. However, the mere recognition of EBM principles in the regulatory framework does not guarantee that the approach will be clearly understood and appropriately incorporated by contractors throughout the process. For such, further clarification on the meaning of the Ecosystem Approach in the DSM context and building the capacity of the ISA Legal and Technical Commission are among the recommendations presented by this study.

Waves of Change: Towards Ecosystem-Based Management to Climate Change Adaptation

“…Translating EBM principles into operational management measures is an effort faced by managers, scientists and other interested practitioners [25,26]. In theory, explicit reference to EBM principles in sound directives and guidelines to be implemented at different administrative levels can lower the chances of misinterpreting or disregarding a principle when translating it into actions [28]. Thus, although policy implementation is a more complex process, and analysing it involves considering all policy cycle phases and political wills [44], understanding if and how key instruments address EBM shed light on possible pathways to advance with the process.…”

“…Following Guilhon et al [28] and Gelcich et al [26], the content analysis involved examining the text to identify the presence (explicit or implicit) of EBM principles. Extracts relating to the principles were ranked according to predefined scores: 0 if the principle should appear in the document/section but was not identified, 1 if the principle was indirectly/implicitly mentioned, 2 if the principle was directly/explicitly mentioned and easily identified (see Supplementary Materials for examples of extracts classified as 1 or 2).…”

“…Thus, including EBM at the foundation of public policies would be the first step to promoting and guiding action [25,26]. Although under different nomenclatures, many international agencies advocate and have included EBM in norms and proposals [27,28]. Even though many environmental policies and plans consider EBM principles, subtle and blurred references to such principles can undermine its implementation [28] since the lack of understanding of what EBM entails and how it translates into actions are still barriers to be overcome [25,26,28].…”

“…As sea level rises over the large and prominent Brazilian coast, worsening its high social-environmental vulnerability, innovative CC adaptation is an urgent and overlooked necessity. However, as for many other recent CC adaptation instruments, it is still unclear if EBM principles guide policy-making and are sufficiently clear to support its implementation [28]. To address this gap and contribute to the discussion on how to move EBM from discourse to practical management actions, this article aims to evaluate if and how two planning instruments for CC adaptation in Brazil consider EBM principles.…”

Challenges and environmental issues in developing hydrocarbon resources in the World ocean

“…: International Energy Agency, IEA) Net zero by 2050 1 , а также докладе Объединенного исследовательского центра Европейской комиссии (англ. : Joint Research Centre, JRC) Global energy and climate outlook 2020: a new normal beyond Covid-19 2 отмечается, что доля нефти и газа в энергопотреблении может снизиться до 45-20 %. В данных же докладах, а также в работах ряда специалистов (например, А. М. Мастепанова [1]) делается акцент и на том факте, что пандемия COVID-19 уже внесла коррективы в энергетическую политику.…”