UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/2/3:SCIENTIFIC AND ECOLOGICAL CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF MARINE AREAS

UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/2/3
Progress Report on Refinement and Consolidation of Scientific AND ECOLOGICAL Criteria for the Identification of Marine Areas in Need of Protection and on Compilation of Biogeographical and Other Ecological Classification Systems

Indigenous Peoples Statement on UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/2/3
Agenda Item 3.1.3
(MARINE PROTECTED AREAS )

Working Group on Protected Areas
Second Meeting
FAO
Rome, February 11th -15th, 2008
Agenda Item 3.1.3

Thank you, Chairman

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Secretariat for preparing this document UNEP/CBD/WGPA/2/3 which forms the basis of this intervention under Agenda Item 3.1.3.

At the outset, the IIFB are disappointed that despite our calls in Montecatini during the First Working Group Meeting on Protected Areas with regards Indigenous Peoples having first-hand experience about issues relevant to protected areas identification, management, monitoring and evaluation, we continue to see with concern in the content of this document that our traditional knowledge, innovations and practices have not been taken into account even though it is recognized that traditional knowledge plays a valuable role in the sustainable management of fish resources in marine protected areas. As reflected in the complete absence in the text of this document of any reference to Indigenous Peoples and our particular issues on traditional knowledge, free prior and informed consent, and effective participation on identification, designation, and management of marine protected areas beyond national jurisdiction have yet again, not taken seriously by the parties.

On the activities for perfecting and reformulating the scientific criteria for the identification of protected areas that need protection and on the compiling of a biogeografic classification system and other ecological classification systems, we are troubled to find that marine protected areas only include scientific criteria and fails to consider key indigenous concerns on social and cultural assessments, food security, and traditional indigenous knowledge. The absence of our indigenous experts in the Scientific Experts’ Workshop on Criteria for Identifying Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction hosted by Canada in Ottawa 6 to 8 December 2006, and similarly in the Expert Workshop on Ecological Criteria and Biogeographic Classification Systems for Marine Areas in Need of Protection, hosted by Portugal in Azores 2 to 4 October 2007 are clear examples of ignoring our Indigenous Peoples expertise and contravenes the requirement about participation of indigenous peoples and local communities contained in the PoW, especially Element 2 .

This is further exemplified by leaving out Indigenous Peoples expertise in the compilation of biogeographical and other ecological classification systems reported in paragraphs 6 and 7 of UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/2/3 and in our assessment, again reflect the deliberate attempt to ignore our calls as Indigenous Peoples to be fully involved.

We are confident that the participation of other experts such as that of Indigenous Peoples would help provide a much more enhanced, broader, and holistic assessment of the criteria given that the protected areas in the marine areas outside of national jurisdiction do affect the intrinsic relationship of indigenous peoples and the marine systems that have been the sources of their sustainable livelihood for generations. The Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific, the Caribbean, and fishermen from other parts of the world have fished, and continue to fish in areas often outside national jurisdiction and any criteria considered for identification of marine areas in need of protection and on compilation of biogeographical and other ecological classification systems must take into consideration these traditional experiences of Indigenous Peoples.

For these reasons, the IIFB again call on the Parties to ensure that these concerns of Indigenous Peoples are adequately considered in the outcomes of this Agenda Item 3.1.3 and to ensure that not only text language is incorporated in this regard, but to fully consider Indigenous Peoples Expertise as integral pre-requisites in these criteria assessments and in consideration also of our rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2007.

We will therefore give appropriate proposed text in this regard to the Secretariat for its consideration by the Parties during this week’s deliberation on this Agenda Item.

Thanks you.