Closure of VMEs

C NAFO - At the 2007 Annual Meeting, NAFO agreed to close a substantial area along the southern slope of the Grand Banks between 800 and 2000 meters depth in and to maintain the closure of four seamount areas initially closed in 2006. However, NAFO has yet to agree to close all areas where VMEs such as cold-water corals, sponge fields etc are known or likely to occur.

At its 'Extraordinary' meeting in May 2008, NAFO parties need to adopt measures to close areas where VMEs are likely to occur, unless or until measures to prevent significant adverse impacts on VMEs are in place, if it is to improve its performance.

C NEAFC has closed some areas where VMEs are known to occur, primarily on the Hatton and Rockall Banks, although other areas where VMEs are known to occur remain open to bottom trawling and other types of bottom fishing. Moreover, NEAFC has not yet begun to address the issue of closing areas where VMES are likely to occur unless or until assessments have been conducted and measures are in place to prevent significant adverse impacts on VMEs. NEAFC has postponed negotiations on the implementation of UN GA resolution 61/105 until an 'Extraordinary' meeting in the first half of 2008. At this meeting, it must implement measures to close areas where VMEs are likely to occur pending the implementation of measures to prevent significant adverse impacts on VMEs. One issue NEAFC will have to resolve is the apparent differences amongst parties in the interpretation of UNGA resolution 61/105. At a meeting of NEAFC's Permanent Committee on Management and Science, the European Union stated that UN GA resolution 61/105 shifts the burden of proof - e.g. a new fishery cannot be opened or an existing fishery expanded unless it can be shown that there is no harmful impact. Iceland disagreed with this interpretation.

C SEAFO agreed to close 10 seamount areas in 2006. In 2007 it agreed to keep them closed until proper assessments of fisheries impacts can be conducted and adverse impacts prevented. However, it failed to adopt the recommendation of its Scientific Committee that three additional seamount areas be closed, nor has SEAFO agreed to implement measures to close areas where VMEs are likely to occur unless or until measures are implemented to prevent significant adverse impacts on VMEs.

A CCAMLR - Under Conservation Measure 22-05 (2006), bottom trawling gear can only be used in the high seas areas of the Convention Area where the Commission has conservation measures on its usage in force.

Under Conservation Measure 22-06 (2007), each Contracting Party proposing to participate in bottom fishing shall submit to the Scientific Committee and Commission no less than three months in advance of the next meeting of the Commission, information and a preliminary assessment where possible of the known and anticipated impacts of bottom fishing activities on VMEs, including benthos and benthic communities. These submissions shall also include the mitigation measures proposed by the contracting party to prevent such impacts.

These measures are subject to review in 2008.

C The GFCM agreed to close all areas below 1000 meters to bottom trawl fishing in 2005. In 2006, the GFCM agreed to close three areas at lesser depth where VMEs - a cold seep, a cold-water coral reef, and a seamount - were known to occur. This grade is based on actions taken in 2005 and 2006, but the GFCM must agree to more comprehensive measures in 2008.

A NWP RFMO - Interim Measures agreed in February 2007 include a provision requiring that bottom fisheries in the areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems are known to occur or are likely to occur, based on the best available scientific information, shall cease by 31 December 2008, unless conservation and management measures have been established to prevent significant adverse impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems, consistent with the relevant provisions of the 2006 United Nations General Assembly Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries... and such international standards as may be developed pursuant thereto.

A SP RFMO - At its May 2007 meeting in Renaca, SP RFMO participants agreed to close areas to bottom fishing where VMEs are known or likely to occur based on the best available scientific information, unless conservation and management measures have been established to prevent significant adverse impacts on VMEs and the long-term sustainability of deep sea fish stocks, or it has been determined that such bottom fishing will not have significant adverse impacts on VMEs or the long-term sustainability of deep sea fish stocks.