Seamounts scoping study Etude exploratoire sur les monts sous- marins Biodiversity and Ecosystems Series 2020 Seamounts scoping study Acknowledgements The scoping study was produced by Norway as lead country for the collective action to compile the latest knowledge on species and habitats supported by seamounts. Experts who contributed to the scoping study are recognised in the addended report. 1 OSPAR Commission 2020 OSPAR Convention Convention OSPAR The Convention for the Protection of the Marine La Convention pour la protection du milieu marin Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the de l'Atlantique du Nord-Est, dite Convention “OSPAR Convention”) was opened for signature at OSPAR, a été ouverte à la signature à la réunion the Ministerial Meeting of the former Oslo and ministérielle des anciennes Commissions d'Oslo et Paris Commissions in Paris on 22 September 1992. de Paris, à Paris le 22 septembre 1992. La The Convention entered into force on 25 March Convention est entrée en vigueur le 25 mars 1998. 1998. The Contracting Parties are Belgium, Les Parties contractantes sont l'Allemagne, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, la Belgique, le Danemark, l’Espagne, la Finlande, la Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the France, l’Irlande, l’Islande, le Luxembourg, la Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Norvège, les Pays-Bas, le Portugal, le Royaume-Uni Switzerland and the United Kingdom. de Grande Bretagne et d’Irlande du Nord, la Suède, la Suisse et l’Union européenne. 2 Seamounts scoping study Contents ENGLISH VERSION PAGES 1-8, VERSION FRANCAIS PAGES 9-14, ADDENDUM PAGES 15-128 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 OSPAR Recommendation 2014/9 on furthering the protection and conservation of seamounts in Regions I, IV and V of the OSPAR maritime area ............................................................................. 4 1.2 OSPAR Roadmap for the implementation of collective actions within the Recommendations for the protection and conservation of OSPAR listed Species and Habitats ..................................... 5 2. Seamounts – ecosystem, habitats, and species ........................................................................ 5 2.1 Implementation of Collective action 40: in search for new candidates to the OSPAR T&D list for species and habitats ............................................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Deliverables of Collective action 40 .................................................................................................. 6 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 10 1.1 Recommandation OSPAR 2014/9 sur la promotion de la protection et conservation des monts sous-marins dans les régions I, IV et V de la zone maritime d’OSPAR ........................................... 10 1.2 Feuille de route pour la mise en œuvre d’actions collectives dans le cadre des recommandations pour la protection et conservation des espèces et habitats figurant sur la Liste OSPAR ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 2. Monts sous-marins – écosystème, habitats et espèces ......................................................... 12 2.1 Mise en œuvre de l’action collective 40 : à la recherche de candidats à ajouter à la Liste OSPAR des espèces et habitats menacés et/ou en déclin ................................................................ 12 2.2 Résultats de l’action collective 40 .................................................................................................... 12 3. Addendum : SEAMOUNTS IN THE OSPAR MARITIME AREA from species to ecosystems 15 3 OSPAR Commission 2020 1. Introduction 1.1 OSPAR Recommendation 2014/9 on furthering the protection and conservation of seamounts in Regions I, IV and V of the OSPAR maritime area The OSPAR Biological Diversity and Ecosystems Strategy sets out that the OSPAR Commission will assess which species and habitats need to be protected. This work guides the setting of priorities by the OSPAR Commission for its activities in implementing Annex V to the Convention ("On the Protection and Conservation of the Ecosystems and Biological Diversity of the Maritime Area"). The OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining (T/D) Species and Habitats (OSPAR Agreement 2008-6) has been developed to fulfil this commitment. It is based upon nominations by Contracting Parties and observers to the Commission of species and habitats that they consider to be priorities for protection. The purpose of the list is to guide the OSPAR Commission in setting priorities for its further work on the conservation and protection of marine biodiversity. Seamounts are included among the habitats on the OSPAR List of threatened and/or declining habitats. The ‘OSPAR Recommendation 2014/9 on furthering the protection and conservation of seamounts in Regions I, IV and V of the OSPAR maritime area’ has been adopted with a view to further the collective efforts on protection and conservation of this habitat. The Recommendation sets out the following programmes and measures: 3. Programmes and measures 3.1 Each Contracting Party should consider in Regions I, IV and V: a. the possibility to introduce legislation to protect seamounts in the OSPAR maritime area; b. giving priority to the adoption of conservation measures for those seamounts where a high level of biodiversity, endemism, as well as where threatened and/or declining species and habitats are recorded; c. assessing whether existing management measures for the protection of seamounts are effective and determine whether further measures are needed to address the key threats; d. investigating the distribution, quality and extent of seamounts by means of deepwater habitat surveys and monitoring in order to complete the knowledge base and provide indicators for the state and recovery of the habitat; e. seeking ways and means to broaden the knowledge base on the occurrence of, and threats to, seamounts by involving relevant actors including inter alia maritime sectors concerned and by gathering additional knowledge from sources such as national planning authorities, environmental impact assessments, post development monitoring and marine research; f. whether any sites justify selection and designation as marine protected areas for the conservation and recovery of seamounts and their associated habitats and species and whether such areas may become a component of the OSPAR network of marine protected areas; g. where appropriate, addressing and minimising adverse impacts on seamounts arising from human activities in areas under its national jurisdiction; h. raising awareness of the importance of seamounts among relevant management authorities, relevant actors, including industry sectors and the general public; i. acting for the fulfillment of the purpose of this recommendation within the framework of relevant competent authorities. 3.2 Acting collectively within the framework of the OSPAR Commission, with the aim of promoting an ecosystem-based approach, Contracting Parties should: a. improve the OSPAR habitat mapping database content, in relation to North East Atlantic seamounts distribution; and publish regularly updated quality assessments and distribution records; b. communicate the current knowledge base on seamounts to OSPAR Contracting Parties, stakeholders and other competent international bodies; 4 Seamounts scoping study c. improve knowledge of species and habitats supported by seamounts located within the OSPAR maritime area, and evaluate a possible inclusion of these biological communities in the OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats (OSPAR Agreement 2008-6); d. in accordance with Article 4 of Annex V of the OSPAR Convention, or where coordination and cooperation with other international organisations and bodies is appropriate, draw the question of strengthening the protection of Seamounts to the attention of the authority or international body competent for that question, and encourage that authority or international body to take appropriate measures, drawing upon the actions and measures suggested in the OSPAR background document (OSPAR publication 2010/492) to address threats such as from fishing with bottom contacting gear and mineral extraction, in areas where there may be a significant adverse impact on Seamounts and their associated communities from these activities, where this is necessary for the conservation and recovery of Seamounts. 1.2 OSPAR Roadmap for the implementation of collective actions within the Recommendations for the protection and conservation of OSPAR listed Species and Habitats The Roadmap for the implementation of collective actions within the Recommendations for the protection and conservation of OSPAR listed Species and Habitats 2017-2025 (POSH Roadmap) has been developed in response to the need for a strategic approach to deliver the actions set out in the Recommendations for protection and conservation of the OSPAR listed species and habitats. The Roadmap describes the various types of actions that OSPAR will work on over the coming years and provides a timetable to guide the achievement of these actions. The actions across the Recommendations have been