REGIONAL EFFORTS FOR

1
CBD-ICRI Side Event at COP 9 Marine Biodiversity
and the International Year of the
Reef Celebrating International Year of the Reef
(IYOR) 2008
REGIONAL EFFORTS FOR THE CONSERAVATION OF CORAL
REEFS THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MPA NETWORK
YOSHINAKA AtsuhiroMinistry of the Environment,
Japan
2
Background MPA networks Coral Reefs

• Global target Development of representative
  networks/systems of MPAs by 2012 (WSSD, CBD
  COP-7)
• Further efforts are needed to meet the global
  target
• Coral Reefs are among the most biologically rich
  ecosystems sustaining vast majority of livelihood
  and economic hearth of coastal nations
• Establishment of MPAs on coral reefs is a useful
  option to manage these systems especially
  currently in the context of resilience to
  large-scale threats like coral bleaching

3
Background East Asia region

• Rich and diverse marine and coastal ecosystems
  including Coral Triangle, the global center of
  marine biodiversity
• Coral reefs and related ecosystems are the key
  ecosystems in East Asia while many of the reefs
  are at high risk and need conservation
• Many regional and national initiatives and
  programs on MPAs are going on, while most of the
  countries are still at a developing stage toward
  MPA global target and many challenges are
  remaining

4
Background ICRI

• Started in 1994. Designated 2008 as the
  International Year of the Reef
• A unique partnership of governments,
  international organizations, scientific entities,
  and NGOs committed to reversing the global
  degradation of coral reefs and related ecosystems
  (e.g., mangroves, seagrass)

GCRMN
ReefCheck
ICRIN
ReefBase
ICRAN CORDIO
ICRIForum
CBD COP-1
ITMEMS1
ITMEMS2
Dumaguete
ITMEMS3
IYOR1997
IYOR2008
2005
2008
1995
2000
USA
Australia
France
Sweden/ Philippines
UK/ Seychelles
Japan/ Palau
Mexico/ USA
ICRI Renewed Call to Action
ICRI Call to Action ICRI Framework for Action
5
Background ICRIs involvements in MPAs East Asia

• ICRI Recommendation on Developing MPA Networks
• (ICRI General Meeting, Tokyo, April 2007)
• Mexico-US Secretariat Plan of Action
• Enhance MPAs
• Revitalize regional approach including through
  ICRI Regional Workshop
• East Asia Regional Workshop
• Bali, Indonesia, 1996
• Okinawa, Japan, 1997
• Cebu, Philippines, 2001

6
International Coral Reef Marine Protected Area
Network Meeting ICRI East Asia Regional
WorkshopNew Regional Initiative

• Proposed and accepted at the ICRI General Meeting
  (Washington DC, January 2008)
• International Coral Reef Marine Protected Area
  Network Meeting /4th ICRI East Asia Regional
  Workshop in 2008
• Follow-up meetings in 2009 and 2010
• Overall objectives are to facilitate conservation
  of coral reefs and related ecosystems through
  developing of MPA networks in East Asia by
• Taking stock information of MPA implementation,
  identifying gaps and challenges
• Developing a regional strategy as a basis for
  regional cooperation

7
International Coral Reef Marine Protected Area
Network Meeting ICRI East Asia Regional
WorkshopObjectives (2008)

• To bring together policy makers, MPA managers,
  experts and practitioners in East Asia and other
  regions
• Increase understanding of status and challenges
  of MPAs/MPA networks on coral reefs and related
  ecosystems
• Discuss on how East Asian countries can enhance
  developing MPA networks on coral reefs and
  related ecosystems toward 2012 global target
• To plan the way forward until 2010 as a
  preparatory meeting

8
International Coral Reef Marine Protected Area
Network Meeting ICRI East Asia Regional
WorkshopExpected outputs (2008)

• Stock information (i.e., status, challenges and
  good practices)
• Provisional plan for development of the regional
  strategy, including
• Regional MPA database
• Regional human network
• Regional ecological network
• Provisional TOR of possible 2009 and 2010
  meetings

9
International Coral Reef Marine Protected Area
Network Meeting ICRI East Asia Regional
WorkshopStatus of planning

• Ad Hoc Committee developed in ICRI
• Planning of the meeting (i.e., agenda,
  participants, etc.)
• Draft plan to be submitted to ICRI GM, July
  12-13, Florida
• Time 17th 19th November 2008 (3 days)
• Location Tokyo, Japan
• Hosted by Ministry of the Environment, ICRI

10
International Coral Reef Marine Protected Area
Network Meeting ICRI East Asia Regional
WorkshopBenefits to countries

• Sharing lessons learned and good practices
• Identifying solutions to tackle challenges
• Identifying important ecological regions and
  finding ways of multilateral cooperation to
  establish and manage such sub-regional MPA
  networks
• Providing opportunities to meet with relevant key
  people and to reach out to relevant information
  and opportunities, and building a regional
  framework/network of cooperation to keep such
  opportunities and momentums
• Reaffirming existing policies and criteria on
  developing MPAs/MPA networks and building upon
  them a new policies
• Developing regional MPA database network system
  that can benefit policy development and raising
  awareness in national level

11
For more information
www.icriforum.org Getting in
touch YOSHINAKA Atsuhiro atsuhiro_yoshinaka_at_
env.go.jp