The concerns of small-scale and artisanal fishers from different parts of the world were today highlighted at the ongoing 11th Session of the Committee of the Parties (COP11)to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at Hyderabad, India, by the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP) and the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF).
In a Statement on Agenda Item 10: Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, WFFP and ICSF pointed to the need to integrate the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities and to ensure their full and effective participation in the implementation of the Convention.
It is unfortunate, the Statement noted, that these foundational principles have not been taken into account in the various processes initiated for the description of the Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine and Coastal Areas (EBSAs).
The Statement asked Parties to ensure that all work related to the description of EBSAs integrates the traditional, scientific, technical and technological knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, consistent with Article 8(j) and 10 (c). It further urged Parties to ensure that there is full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly fishing communities, in future regional and national workshops on EBSAs.
While welcoming the work of the Executive Secretary, generously funded by the Government of Germany, to develop the EBSA training manual and modules, the Statement requested the Executive Secretary to further refine the training manual and modules, as necessary, including through further consultation with Parties, and indigenous peoples and local communities in the development of training materials on the use of traditional knowledge.
The Statement also noted that the best available scientific and technical knowledge, including relevant traditional knowledge, should be the basis for the description of areas that meet the criteria for EBSAs, and that the participation of indigenous and local communities in regional EBSA workshops, as well as the use of social and cultural criteria, developed with the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, is essential for any subsequent step of selecting conservation and management measures, particularly in areas with pre-existing human populations and uses.
The WFFP-ICSF Statement urged Parties and invited other Governments, the financial mechanism, and funding organizations to provide adequate, timely, and sustainable support to the implementation of training and capacity building and other activities related to EBSAs, especially for developing countries, in particular least developed countries and small island developing States and Parties with economies in transition, as well as indigenous peoples and local communities.
The full text of the Statement can be found at http://www.icsf.net/en/statements.html?radio=O
2012 ICSF