Intervention from the International Whaling Commission to virtual sessions for 24th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity Subsidiary Body for Scientific , Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA)
Agenda Item 6- Marine and Coastal Biodiversity
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is delighted to participate in the virtual sessions for the 24th meeting of the CBD SBSTTA and to intervene on this important agenda item- Marine and Coastal Biodiversity- which, of course, is central to our mandate and also very close to our hearts. We are also pleased that the Vice-Chair of the IWC Scientific Committee was able to attend the Thematic Workshop on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity for the Post- 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework kindly hosted by Canada in November 2019.
The IWC is established under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (1946) to provide for the conservation of whale stocks and the management of whaling. Its work has evolved over 75 years reflecting the broader range of threats to cetaceans, thereby encompassing many issues of mutual interest with the CBD including those addressed under this agenda item. We welcome CBD progress on these shared challenges, including, but not limited to, area based management, anthropogenic underwater noise, marine debris and sustainably managed fisheries.
Bycatch and entanglement of cetaceans in active fishing gears, and abandoned lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear, is the single biggest global threat to cetacean populations. At its meeting in 2016, the IWC endorsed the Bycatch Mitigation Initiative to develop, assess and promote bycatch prevention and mitigation measures world-wide, and support countries in addressing bycatch. This collaborative initiative is developing a capacity building programme and a series of pilot projects where both proven and novel approaches to bycatch reduction can be implemented and scaled up to national level. The engagement of the fisheries sector is essential to this initiative, as is the engagement and incentivising of fishing communities. With this in mind, we welcome CBD collaboration with the FAO and regional fisheries bodies. We urge that this work continue to take into account the critical issue of bycatch of non-target species which is a multi-taxa issue and is essential to ensure fisheries are sustainably managed. This could be strengthened in the post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, including the establishment of a specific reference to reducing and preventing fisheries bycatch of non-target species in Target 4 relating to the sustainability of harvesting, trade and use of wild species of fauna and flora.
In this respect, we hope that the CBD will join the IWC and other biodiversity-related conventions in welcoming the publication of the FAO Guidelines to prevent and reduce bycatch of marine mammals in capture fisheries. We also note the FAO’s plan to use these Guidelines to address bycatch as part of their Responsible Fisheries Operations Workplan, a critical effort in mainstreaming biodiversity in fisheries management. We hope that this could be reflected in the final SBSTTA recommendations. Finally, we welcome the CBD’s proposal to conduct a strategic review of the CBD programme of work on marine and coastal biodiversity. This will help identify further opportunities for collaborative efforts with other biodiversity-related conventions including the IWC and we look forward to fruitful cooperation with the CBD on this and all other matters of mutual interest.