Regional : Stocktaking Study for Benchmarking Sustainable Management of Exclusive Economic Zones in the Pacific

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Fishery

The vast Pacific Ocean connects ADB's 14 Pacific developing member countries (DMCs), and much of this ocean is their responsibility to manage sustainably. Within the Pacific community, there are many programs, initiatives and partners working together to support sustainable management of the Pacific Ocean. The Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) serves as the overall coordinating mechanism. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) hosts the OPOC and coordinates with the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP) Agencies, including the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) which prepared the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy in 2005. The Framework for a Pacific Oceanscape (FPO), prepared by PIFS and endorsed by Pacific Island Leaders and Ministers in 2010, defines key outcomes on ocean policy and sustainable ocean management in the Pacific region.

A critical element of sustainable ocean management is sustainable management of exclusive economic zones (EEZs). An EEZ is a concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982, whereby a coastal State assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be "the area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea, extending not more than 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured." The EEZs of ADB's 14 Pacific DMCs encompass an area of nearly 20 million square kilometers, or approximately twice the total land area of the United States. The areas outside EEZs or other territorial agreements are defined as areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), or the high seas.

For all Pacific DMCs, managing EEZs is a tremendous responsibility, requiring effective governance and management of all forms of resource extraction, protection of marine ecosystems, and monitoring, surveillance, and enforcement of maritime boundaries, among other state responsibilities. A number of Pacific DMCs have taken significant steps to manage their EEZs more sustainably by creating the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency in 1979, enacting the Nauru Agreement in 1982, establishing marine protected areas, and regulating seabed mining. Some Pacific DMCs have prepared ocean management policies, but implementing plans and actions has proven difficult. Other Pacific DMCs need to make significantly more progress in managing their EEZs, including taking the fundamental step of securing EEZ ratification under UNCLOS.

Sustainable use of the Pacific Ocean and its resources by Pacific island countries and external partners ensured

Pacific DMCs understanding of sustainable EEZ management enhanced

Assessment of the importance of EEZs in the Pacific, including economic, social, environmental, and cultural benefits of sustainable management

Framework and approach for undertaking a benchmarking study on sustainable management of EEZs in ADB's 14 Pacific DMCs

Consultations to share TA's initial findings and to assess interest among Pacific DMCs to participate in an EEZ benchmarking study

Final report to be presented to stakeholders including through a regional conference or meeting on oceans in 2020, possibly "Our Oceans" conference hosted by Palau