Pacific Island nations, including Fiji, are leading global efforts to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national borders.
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty aims to create rules for conserving and sustainably using marine life in high sea areas.
Standing Committee Chair Lenora Qereqeretabua said the lack of legal framework under the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction left these areas vulnerable to climate change, pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction.
“This is to say that the high seas are the areas of the ocean for which no one nation has sole responsibility for management. So, the BBNJ Treaty will help to fill the gaps that were not addressed by UNCLOS.”
She stresses that nearly two-thirds of the ocean and its ecosystems lie in these areas, which are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and ocean acidification.
However, Deputy Secretary of Fisheries Netani Tavaga raised concerns about Fiji control over marine resources in areas beyond its exclusive economic zone.
“There is some contradiction within the BBNJ text, and we’re still investigating it, particularly for Article 5.1 and Article 11.4. I will specifically refer to Article 11.4, where it states that it does not.”
Article 5.1 of the treaty states that Article 5(1) states that to ensure consistency with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article 11.4 establishes that no state shall claim or exercise sovereignty rights over marine genetic resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Tavaga said that the Ministry of Fisheries supports Fiji ratifying the BBNJ treaty while suggesting establishing emergency marine protected areas to address natural disasters or biohazard incidents in the high seas.
