Protect Europe S Coral Reefs Now - Their Future Is in Your Hands! 1
Original: English only
OSPAR CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC
MEETING OF THE BIODIVERSITY COMMITTEE (BDC)
BRUGES: 16-20 FEBRUARY 2004
Protect Europe‘s coral reefs now - their future is in your hands![1]
Presented by WWF
Background
1. The need to protect cold water coral reefs in the North-East Atlantic has been at the heart of the marine conservation agenda since the adoption of Annex V to the OSPAR Convention at MMC 1998 (Sintra) and during the process leading up to MMC 2003 (Bremen) when OSPAR delivered its first instruments concerning species, habitats and marine protected areas under the provisions of the new Annex, with Lophelia reefs included in the initial list of threatened and declining species and habitats. In parallel, the designation of reefs as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive up to the offshore limit of jurisdiction of EU member states has emerged as an important issue.
2. Between 1998 and 2003, WWF presented eight showcase examples of cold water coral reefs and/or other features such as seamounts known to be associated with Lophelia reefs for protection as OSPAR MPAs and/or Natura 2000 sites: Sula Reef (N), Darwin Mounds (UK), Røst Reef (N), Tisler Reef (N), Rockall Bank (UK, IRL, High Seas), Galicia Bank (SP), Faroe Bank and La Grande Vasière (F). In addition, systematic inventories of reefs in the EEZs of NE Atlantic states were presented to both OSPAR and EU institutions and a blueprint for future management of an exemplary site (Darwin Mounds) was published. Such material is available on the CD ROM attached to this document (Annex[2]), along with more recent information on cold water coral reefs and/or seamounts.
3. More recently, WWF
a) called for immediate generic measures to prohibit bottom trawling at known coral sites and to map all reefs according to ICES advice - see the document Protection of cold water coral reefs in the OSPAR Maritime Area - a matter of urgency (BDC 03/5/5-E); and
b) highlighted, as a Gift to the Earth, the progress made by Norway in this respect - see the document Norwegian cold water coral protection setting an international example in marine conservation (OSPAR 03/04/Info 8-E).
4. On the occasion of OSPAR MMC 2003, the video Save Europe’s coral reefs (Annex) was launched and a side event with OSPAR delegates and speakers from the Atlantic Coral Ecosystem Study (ACES), the Norwegian Marine Research Institute (IMR), UNEP and WWF was arranged to underpin the urgency of the cold water coral issue and to evaluate the progress made in Norwegian waters vis-à-vis the complex legal situation and challenge in EU waters where the Commission of the European Communities as Contracting Party to OSPAR is the competent fisheries authority while Member States as Contracting Parties to OSPAR are obliged to efficiently protect the habitats concerned.
5. In the light of this, WWF highly welcomed the adoption of § 12 of the Bremen Ministerial Statement (Annex 33 to OSPAR 03/17/1-(A-B)-E) and agreed with statements made by Contracting Parties during the Ministerial Segment such as the UK call on the EC to take emergency measures to protect the Darwin Mounds - already identified and confirmed as candidate offshore SAC - as well as the announcement by Ireland to designate four reefs as SACs and/or OSPAR MPAs (§ 3.4, MMC Summary Record, OSPAR 03/17/1-(A-B)-E).
6. WWF believes that Commission Regulation (EC) 1475/2003 of 20 August 2003 on the protection of deep-water coral reefs from the effects of trawling in an area north west of Scotland is the first important step and precedent to integrate fisheries management and conservation of cold water coral habitat in EU waters within the OSPAR Maritime Area. WWF welcomed this emergency measure as a milestone achievement (see press release at Annex). Consequently, WWF is now calling on the members of the EU Fisheries Ministers Council to support the EC follow up proposal for a permanent Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 850/98 as regards the protection of deep-water coral reefs from the effects of trawling in an area north west of Scotland - COM(2003) 519 final. WWF is confident that all OSPAR Contracting Parties will support this regulation in the EU Council as their governments have already adopted § 12 of the Bremen Ministerial Statement in June 2003 (see briefing at Annex).
7. However, WWF emphasises that the Darwin Mounds emergency and/or draft permanent regulation only relates to one particular site in the OSPAR Maritime Area and is intended to prevent further damage due to the use of active fishing gear exclusively whereas § 12 of the Bremen Ministerial Statement includes the general commitment to take immediate action throughout the OSPAR Maritime Area and identify additional threats to cold water coral reefs (eg offshore oil and gas development) and develop further measures by 2005.
8. On 3 February 2004, the EC launched its proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 850/98 as regards the protection of deep-water coral reefs from the effects of trawling in certain areas of the Atlantic Ocean - COM(2004) 58 final with a view to protecting cold water coral reefs and related vulnerable habitats in the areas around the Azores, Canaries and Madeira. Many of them qualify as Natura 2000 sites and/or OSPAR MPAs and are expected to come under increasing trawling pressure when Council Regulation (EC) No 1954/2003 of 4 November 2003 on the management of the fishing effort relating to certain Community fishing areas and resources enters into force (see WWF news article at Annex and additional information with CD ROM). The need to take further action within the competence of the OSPAR Commission to complement or support action by the EC and Contracting Parties and to co-operate with them (Article 4.1 of Annex V) is obvious in this case. It particularly applies to the insecure situation of certain coral reefs in OSPAR Regions III, IV and V.
Action requested
9. BDC is invited to
a) take note of WWF’s information at the Annex (including CD ROM);
b) identify a lead country and describe a product within its work programme for following up on § 12 of the Bremen Ministerial Statement; and
c) prepare action to cooperate with the competent fisheries authorities (and fisheries departments within OSPAR governments) with a view to ensuring the adoption of fisheries management measures that are fully consistent with § 12.
2
OSPAR Commission BDC 04/4/ -E
[1] Each delegation will receive the WWF CD-ROM Protect Europe‘s coral reefs now - their future is in your hands! with comprehensive information on cold water coral reefs and related issues.
[2] The Annex to this document contains the following elements:
· WWF press release welcoming the EU emergency measure to protect the Darwin Mounds from bottom trawling
· WWF briefing concerning the draft EU permanent regulation to protect the Darwin Mounds
· Copy of cover for WWF CD-ROM