5 May 2012: The 16th session of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted 15 recommendations, including a package of recommendations on marine and coastal biodiversity. It also addressed the in-depth review of the work programme on island biodiversity (PoWIB).

The recommendations on marine and coastal biodiversity cover: ecologically and biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs); sustainable fisheries and adverse impacts of human activities on the marine environment; and marine spatial planning and voluntary guidelines for the consideration of biodiversity in environmental assessments in marine areas. The recommendation on EBSAs includes criteria for the description and prioritization of EBSAs, including lists and maps of suggested EBSAs developed in a series of regional workshops. While delegates generally felt that the progress on EBSA criteria and the guidelines for assessments together constituted an important milestone in the protection of marine biodiversity, they could not agree to recommend that the CBD Conference of the Parties (COP) should endorse the use of the criteria or the guidelines in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

SBSTTA 16 also adopted a recommendation on island biodiversity. It asks the COP to, inter alia: support high-level regional commitments as well as local capacity, consider developing innovative financial arrangements to support the PoWIB’s long-term implementation; support information tools to address island invasive species; prioritize management of terrestrial protected areas; enhance cooperation on transboundary pollution; and prioritize six areas for PoWIB implementation – management and eradication of invasive alien species (IAS), climate change adaptation and mitigation activities, establishment and management of marine protected areas (MPAs), capacity building, access to and fair and equitable benefit sharing from utilization of genetic resources, and poverty alleviation.

The recommendation encourages partnerships for applying The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study and other tools to support island level decision-making, and coordination of work on National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) and the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation (MSI). It also promotes recognition of the Global Island Partnership, the “Small Islands, Big Difference” campaign, and support for small island developing States’ (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) with islands’ work on NBSAPs.

During the discussion, several developing countries and SIDS highlighted financial and human resources constraints, with some calling for direct access to Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding.

SBSTTA convened from 30 April-5 May 2012, in Montreal, Canada. The recommendations will be forwarded to the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP 11), to be held from 8-19 October 2012, in Hyderabad, India. [SBSTTA 16 Website] [IISD RS Meeting Coverage]