Notification 2015-113

Dear Madam/Sir, Pursuant to decision XII/22 (paragraph 10), I am writing to request views and information regarding practical options to further enhance scientific methodologies and approaches for the description of areas meeting the criteria for the description of areas meeting the scientific criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) (annex 1 of decision IX/20). At its twelfth meeting, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity welcomed the outputs of the seven regional EBSA workshops held since its eleventh meeting (decision XII/22). Combined with the outputs of the first two regional EBSA workshops, considered by the COP at its eleventh meeting, a total of 204 areas have been described as meeting the EBSA criteria and included in the CBD EBSA repository. Pursuant to requests by the COP, the summary reports on the outputs of the regional EBSA workshops considered by COP at its eleventh and twelfth meetings were submitted to the United Nations General Assembly and its relevant Working Groups. The outputs of the regional EBSA workshops noted above, including the scientific information used in the descriptions of the areas described at the workshops, are available online through the EBSA website (http://www.cbd.int/ebsa). Furthermore, COP requested the Executive Secretary to continue to facilitate the description of areas meeting the criteria for EBSAs through the organization of additional regional or subregional workshops where Parties wish workshops to be held. An additional two EBSA workshops have been held since COP 12, and additional workshops are being planned. In decision XII/22 (paragraph 10), COP requested the Executive Secretary to develop practical options to further enhance scientific methodologies and approaches on the description of areas meeting the EBSA criteria and to report on progress to a meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice prior to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. In doing so, the Executive Secretary was requested to build upon the existing scientific guidance and draw upon the lessons learned from the series of regional workshops to facilitate the description of areas meeting the EBSA criteria, as well as views gathered from Parties and other Governments, while ensuring that the best available scientific and technical information and traditional knowledge of various users of marine resources, including fishers, are used and that the products are scientifically sound and up-to-date. Accordingly, Parties and other Governments are invited to submit views regarding practical options to further enhance scientific methodologies and approaches for the description of areas meeting the EBSA criteria. Further, Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations, and indigenous peoples and local communities, including fishers, are invited to submit relevant scientific and technical information, including traditional knowledge. We encourage submissions to be supported by relevant literature, reports, documents, case studies and lessons learned, as appropriate. Submissions could include, but are not limited to, views and information regarding: • Inputs, methodological approaches and outputs of previous regional EBSA workshops; • Types of information used to describe areas meeting the EBSA criteria; • Insights from other experiences in applying the EBSA criteria or other relevant compatible and complementary nationally or intergovernmentally agreed scientific criteria, including through national-level exercises (please refer to https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2015/ntf-2015-071-nat-ebsa-en.pdf); • Ways in which information compiled, analyzed and synthesized for the regional EBSA workshops has been used for research, planning and/or management purposes, and insights and lessons learned from these experiences; • Categorizing different types of areas described to meet the EBSA criteria, considering how the information used to describe these areas would be useful to different groups of stakeholders and for different research, planning and management purposes; • Incorporating new scientific data, including traditional knowledge, into previous EBSA descriptions where new information has become available; and • Considerations that may be taken into account when applying the criteria in different types of systems (e.g., frontal zones, upwelling zones, gyres, seamounts) Kindly provide your submissions as soon as possible but no later than 15 November 2015, to facilitate the timely compilation and synthesis of views and suggestions. Contributions should be submitted via e-mail, addressed to the Executive Secretary of the Convention, at secretariat@cbd.int or faxed to +1 514 288 6588. Thank you for your continued support of the work of the Convention. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points; other Governments; relevant organizations; indigenous peoples and local communities