Wednesday,April 22, 2020

Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs)

The EBSAs are special areas in the ocean that serve important purposes, in one way or another, to support the healthy functioning of oceans and the many services that it provides.

Scientific Criteria for Identifying Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs)

The ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9) last 2008, adopted the scientific criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas in need of protection in open-ocean waters and deep-sea habitats.

It was during the COP 10 that emphasized that the identification of EBSAs and the selection of conservation and management measures is a matter for States and competent intergovernmental organizations, in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Currently, there are 3 EBSAs in the Philippines that belongs to the East Asia Seas considered by COP:

  1. Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion
  2. Benham Rise
  3. Intertidal Areas of East Asian Shallow Seas

*****Sources and Further Reading*****

Background on the EBSA Process