Notification 2020-070

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to circulate for peer review the draft report on Anthropogenic Underwater Noise: Impacts on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity and Habitats, and Mitigation and Management Measures. This draft report was prepared by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, in collaboration with Mr. Simon Harding, PhD, on the basis of COP decision 14/10 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-14/cop-14-dec-10-en.pdf), paragraph 5, wherein the Conference of the Parties “takes note of the work of the Executive Secretary, and requests the Executive Secretary to continue to work on the compilation and synthesis of information related to the impacts of anthropogenic underwater noise on marine and coastal biodiversity, and means to avoid, minimize and mitigate these impacts.” This document will be revised in response to input received through peer review, as appropriate, prior to publishing it in the CBD Technical Series (https://www.cbd.int/ts/), with a view to informing Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations in their efforts to address the impacts of anthropogenic underwater noise on marine and coastal biodiversity and habitats. The draft document is available at https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2020/cbd-ts-underwater-noise-peer-review-en.pdf, and a template for providing review comments is available at https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2020/cbd-ts-underwaternoise-template-for-comments-en.doc. Comments, making use of the review template, should be sent by e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int no later than 5 October 2020. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and other relevant organizations