The role of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA) as a crucial tool of ecosystem integrated management
Background
A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) is a designation assigned by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to recognize and protect specific marine areas that are of ecological, socio-economic, scientific, or cultural significance based on the best available scientific knowledge. The PSSA tool is an Area Based Management Tool (ABMT) within the international shipping sector regulated by all the legal framework of the International Maritime Organization.
Given that the purpose of designating a PSSA is to implement measures to mitigate potential risks and hazards posed by shipping activities in these sensitive areas, it is a very useful tool to avoid and prevent harm and increase conservation of the biodiversity and ecosystems of the high seas. The PSSA is an efficient tool for achieving a sustainable shipping activity and at the same time, conservation efforts and global biodiversity targets as the UN Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework 30×30 goal), and the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
The event follows on the high level side event in Pre UNOC in Costa Rica in June 2024, and the workshop on PPSAs on the High Seas, organized by the SARGADOM project in November 2023 to present how the PSSA tool is a very appropriate tool to protect and achieve the sustainable use of key and unique ecosystems in the high seas as the Thermal Dome in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Objective
The main objective of the event is to explore the role of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA) as a crucial tool of ecosystem integrated management to promote a deeper understanding on how PSSAs as area-based management tools (ABMTs) could contribute to the 30×30 conservation target and to advance Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), as well in complementarity to the BBNJ Agreement. Also, the launch of the commitment by Honduras to lead a PSSA proposal for the Thermal Dome will take place during the event.
At the end of the event participants will have acquired increased awareness of the significance of PSSAs in achieving global conservation goals and understand the need to establish management measures for the shipping sector to maintain and protect the biological, and ecosystem connectivity that occurs within and beyond of national jurisdictions.
📍Side Event – “Beyond Borders: Ocean Futures” – OFB x IOC-UNESCO Pavilion in La Baleine/The Whale, Green Zone, Palais des expositions, Nice
🕰️ June 9 – 3:00-4:00 PM
Agenda
Moderator: Phénia Marras – Aït Razouk, French Biodiversity Agency
15h – 15h05 Introduction
By Sonia Angélica Jurado, MarViva Foundation & Fae Sapsford, Sargasso Sea Commission
15h05 – 15h15 The role of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA) as a crucial tool of ecosystem integrated management and conservation of biodiversity in the high seas ecosystems
By Ronan Long, World Maritime University
15h15 – 15h25 The example of the North-West Mediterranean PSSA – the first one designated to protect marine mammals
By Vincent Szleper, French Water and Biodiversity Directorate
15h25 – 15h35 Governance and information to achieve a declaration of a PSSA in the high seas
By Sonia Angélica Jurado, MarViva Foundation
15h35 – 15h45 The SARGADOM project in the high seas: outcomes of the Socio-Ecosystem Diagnostic Analysis (SEDA) and Integrated Ecosystem Assessment in the Thermal Dome
By Jorge Jiménez, MarViva Foundation
15h45 – 15h55 Challenges in PSSA governance: industry initiatives and opportunities.
By Sahan Abeysekara, Loyd’s Register & Fae Sapsford, Sargasso Sea Commission
15h55 – 16h Honduras announcement: voluntary UNOC commitment for the proposal to declare the first PSSA in the high seas, the Thermal Dome.
By Laura Rivera, Marchant Marine of Honduras
Other UNOC events showcasing the SARGADOM project or partners
- Event Mission UNOC of the schooner Tara, endorsed by La Mer en Commun (The Sea in Common – French State) Conservation de la biodiversité au-delà des juridictions nationales, défis et solutions at Villa Carmignac -the Fondation Carmignac- on the island of Porquerolles on June 2nd from 3:15 PM (in French only)
- FFEM Side event “Conservation of the high seas: Challenges and Solutions” in the Green Zone (La Baleine, Pavilion Beyond Borders) on Tuesday June 10th from 12 to 1PM – the recent output of the SARGADOM project will be presented in this side event
- Side event Sciences-sur-Mer “Ocean observation for the governance of the high seas” in the Auditorium of the Citadelle of Villefranche-sur-Mer on June 10th from 2 to 5:30PM – This event will showcase how cutting-edge ocean observation systems — through the Argo-Dome project and BGC-Argo floats — are advancing ocean monitoring to support decision-making and promote sustainable governance in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). > Agenda
- High Seas Alliance side event “From Commitment to Action – Supporting the Early Implementation of the BBNJ Treaty” on June 11th from 4 to 6 PM at the IOC-CNR-OFB “Beyond Borders” Pavilion, Green Zone, Nice. Event organized with IDDRI, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Tara Ocean Foundation, the Sargasso Sea Commission, ANCORS, CNRS, FAO, FFEM, IDDRI, IOC-UNESCO, IUCN, OFB, UNDP, University of Edinburgh.
- MarViva, SARGADOM, WWF Chile and The Permanent Commission of the South Pacific (CPPS) side event “Building the Northeast to Southeast Pacific hybrid MPA network: A way to achieve early implementation of the BBNJ Treaty” on Thursday June 12th 7:30 – 9:30AM, Aston la Scala Hotel. > Register here
