WHY IS THE TREATY IMPORTANT?
Discussions on the treaty began in 2004 and have been held back by disputes over language, the lobbying efforts of major industries and powerful countries as well as the perceived logistical nightmare of enforcing it.
Developing nations have also felt aggrieved that they would be penalised or made responsible for marine biodiversity problems caused by the overexploitation of resources by advanced economies.
Now, the groundwork is done to allow vast areas of ocean to be legally categorised as MPAs. That would restrict what activities are allowed within those areas, including stopping fishing in important areas of biodiversity.
It is hoped that new protection areas could stop the degradation of species and allow marine populations to recover.
“Fishing is of course just part of the myriad of human induced issues affecting our oceans and high seas areas. Marine pollution and deep sea mining are also growing crises for our oceans, requiring substantive and internationally agreed actions to address these and prevent damage to our fragile marine ecosystems,” said independent fisheries expert and vice-president of the Green World Foundation Dominic Chakrabongse.
The Green World Foundation is an organisation that aims to provide knowledge on the Thai environment through the media.
HOW WILL SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS BE IMPACTED BY THE TREATY?
Asian waters are the most trafficked in the world as major thoroughfares for global cargo, while more than 60 per cent of the world’s marine capture fish production comes from Asia and the Pacific. Asia is also home to nine of the ten busiest ports in the world.
Most Southeast Asian countries do not have their national waters forming a boundary with the high seas. However, some international fishing fleets will need to follow any new rules that are established under the treaty. This is especially so for areas in the Indian Ocean, the nearest ocean area that would fall under the treaty.
“Of course, Thailand, Indonesia and a number of fishing nations in Southeast Asia do have distant water fleets, which will have to abide by these new regulations,” Chakrabongse said.
“It remains to be seen how Southeast Asian nations will react to the ruling and how they will enforce compliance of their fleets around the world,” he said.
Chakrabongse gave the example of the Saya de Malha Bank, one of the largest submerged ocean banks in the world, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
“The area is vast and covered in seagrass meadows and coral reefs. As a result, it is a biodiversity hotspot, home to countless diverse species. However, this also makes it a prized target for fishing fleets from all across the region – even Thai trawlers travel to the Bank to collect their catches.
“Due to the lack of international agreement it can be difficult to effectively police this important ecosystem,” Chakrabongse said.
