NORTH SEA – The Results of the OSPAR Ministerial Meeting 2010

The Third Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission in Norway ended on 24 September, making ground-breaking decisions for the protection of high seas biodiversity. The OSPAR Ministers established a vast network of unique and ecologically sensitive areas in the wider Atlantic, bringing the network of OSPAR’s marine protected areas to cover an area of 433,000 km².

OSPAR Ministers established six Marine Protected Areas covering a total area of 285,000 km², protecting a series of seamounts and sections of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and hosting a range of vulnerable deep-sea habitants and species. These measures, which set a precedent on ocean governance for other regions, are agreed to be presented at the 10th Meeting of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity to be held in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010.

Furthermore, the OSPAR Ministerial Meeting adopted the North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy for the period 2010-2020. This new Strategy provides the regional platform for facilitating implementation of the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC), so as to deliver the ecosystem approach and achieve good environmental status in the North-East Atlantic by 2020.

To achieve a clean, healthy and biologically diverse North-East Atlantic, the Ministers gave also consideration to key human elements, by taking firm steps to prevent significant acute pollution from offshore drilling activities, combat eutrophication, promote the banning of the use and trade of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the reductions of the radioactive substances to zero and tackle marine litter.

The OSPAR Ministers, finally, adopted the Bergen Statement, which constitutes a political commitment to achieve these new goals.

During the Meeting, WWF awarded the “Gift to the Earth” to OSPAR in recognition of the leading work on the protection and conservation of marine biodiversity in the high seas.

Note: The MPAs established by the OSPAR Commission lie in areas of the North-East Atlantic that are beyond the jurisdiction of the coastal States. Four of the MPAs, Altair Seamount, Antialtair Seamount, Josephine Seamount and MAR North of the Azores, are for the Ηigh Seas above seabed that is subject to a submission by Portugal to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. For the seabed in these areas, Portugal has established MPAs under its national jurisdiction.