The International Seabed Authority (ISA), the agency responsible for protecting International waters for the benefit of all humankind, has launched initiatives to ensure the protection and sustainable harvesting of sea life in the areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).
The organization has launched the Deep-Sea Biobank Initiative (DBI) to establish a global repository of biological samples from the deep sea that are accessible to those who want to use them for research and capacity-development activities. And ISA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to enhance cooperation on around deep-sea fisheries, biodiversity and the sustainable management of ABNJ.
Companies that hope to mine the ABNJ for rare earth metals have claimed that there is no danger of harming sea life where they intend to mine because nothing lives in the deep sea. This is based on a hypothesis formed in the 1800s by Manxman Edward Forbes–the Azoic Hypothesis. However, science has discovered hundreds of creatures, many of them extraordinary, living in the deep sea. And it is now believed it could be a habitat for millions more. Many also live in the caves and thermal vents below the deep sea. We have less scientific knowledge about the deep sea than we do the surface of the moon.
The biobank will develop standard operating procedures for sampling, processing and sharing biological samples and genetic data collected from the ABNJ. Part of what scientists want to understand is how creatures could live in a place that has so little light and so much pressure, so far from the surface, the sun, and atmospheric oxygen.
“The ISA DBI is a tangible example of what meaningful collaboration looks like, where samples and data are shared, capacities are built and the benefits of deep-sea science are made available to all humankind,” said Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands.
The DBI is designed to promote deep-sea research and inclusive scientific collaboration, particularly for developing States. One of ISA’s main roles is to ensure that any exploration or resource extraction does not unfairly benefit richer nations to the detriment of developing ones.
“The DBI is ISA’s response to a growing need to advance research, share data, build capacity and facilitate access to deep-sea knowledge, particularly for developing States,” said Secretary-General of ISA, Leticia Carvalho. “Through DBI, we aim to create standardized and equitable pathways for scientific collaboration, empowering countries and institutions to explore, understand and protect the ocean’s most remote ecosystems.”
Sustainable Fisheries
The agreement between ISA and FAO promotes the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources in the deep sea, particularly in ABNJ. It underscores the shared commitment of both organizations to strengthen coordination on policy measures, exchange knowledge and data, support scientific research and advance capacity-building efforts in line with their respective mandates.
The partners agree to share and manage information and non-confidential data related to deep-sea biodiversity, developing scientific approaches for the sustainable management of activities, developing coherent and transparent management approaches in ABNJ and promoting capacity-building related to the management of ABNJ, increasing and developing general knowledge and awareness of the deep sea and promoting gender equality in deep-sea research, particularly in developing countries.
FAO’s work in this area includes the development of the International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-sea Fisheries in the High Seas (2008), which offer a framework to support the long-term conservation and sustainable use of deep-sea living resources while minimizing adverse impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems.
This new partnership further strengthens the global commitment to preserving the biodiversity and health of the ocean, particularly in ABNJ, ensuring that their benefits are equitably shared and responsibly managed.
