On 5 November, PGA Board Member Hon. Angela Brown Burke, MP (Jamaica) convened the Breakfast Discussion on the Protection of the Oceans during the 43rd Annual Forum of PGA hosted by the National Congress of Argentina in Buenos Aires. The Breakfast Discussion provided parliamentarians the opportunity to discuss recent actions, share experiences, and explore next steps for the three Oceans Campaign projects:
- Protection of the Deep Seabed: Calling for a Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining,
- Achieving Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, and
- Marine Protected Areas: Conserving 30 Percent of the Ocean by
2030.
Chairing the Breakfast Discussion, Hon. Brown Burke opened the meeting by underscoring the importance of taking action to protect the Oceans for the future of all peoples, recognizing the efforts made by PGA Members through the Oceans Campaign projects.
PGA Treasurer, Ms. Petra Bayr, MP (Austria) shared her recent initiative to bring attention to the Global Parliamentary Declaration Calling for a Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining during Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Under Water (SDG 14) Day in the Austrian parliament. This timely Breakfast Discussion took place within the period of the International Seabed Authority Council’s final meeting of the year to negotiate the development of regulations for the exploitation of the deep seabed. The Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu, Hon. Speaker Samuelu Teo, MP (Tuvalu), highlighted the urgency of protecting the deep seabed, noting the pending interest by companies to begin deep seabed mining in waters surrounding Tuvalu.
Following this, Dep. António Niquice (Mozambique), Chair of the Planning and Budget Committee in Parliament, emphasized his commitment to the Project on Increasing Sustainability of Small-Scale Fisheries. A few weeks ahead of this Breakfast Discussion, Dep. Niquice held a bilateral meeting with Minister Lídia Cardoso, Minister of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, on the critical opportunity to resume efforts and increase the focus on improving blue economy and economic security of small-scale fishers in the Mozambique.
For the Project on Conserving 30 Percent of the Ocean by 2030 through Marine Protected Areas, Hon. Brown Burke opened the floor for discussion, providing parliamentarians with the opportunity to share progress towards the realization of commitments made in the 2021 Belmopan Plan of Action.
Dip. Carla Pitiot (Argentina), on behalf of Dip. Graciela Camaño (Argentina) and the PGA Argentina National Group, shared progress made on various Oceans Campaign projects. On Marine Protected Areas, Dip. Pitiot shared details of parliamentary actions taken towards the creation and expansion of Marine Protected Areas in Argentina, namely Bill 1039-D-2022, also known as the Blue Hole Marine Protected Area Bill, which has already been approved in the Chamber of Deputies.
During the fruitful discussion, Dep. João Vieira (Guinea Bissau) clarified the understanding of protection within the context of Marine Protected Areas, the full details of which are included in the Factsheet for Parliamentarians: Sustainably Managed Marine Protected Areas and Climate Change. PGA Board Member Dip. Esther Cuesta (Ecuador) highlighted the importance of fishing for the livelihoods of many families in Ecuador, while PGA Board Member Hon. Rozaina Adam, MP (Maldives) and Hon. Brown Burke shared national experiences underscoring the importance of local consultations for the long-term sustainability of Marine Protected Areas.
The meeting closed with Hon. Brown Burke recognizing the renewed enthusiasm brought about by this Breakfast Discussion, encouraging participants to continue their efforts in their national parliaments, empowered by the available resources and technical support provided upon request by the PGA Secretariat.
In the end, all the participants asserted the importance of:
- Signing and promoting the signature of the Global Parliamentary Declaration Calling for a Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining, as well as drawing attention to the defense of deep-sea.
- Establishing guidelines for protecting the ecosystems and the human-rights of communities involved in Small-Scale Fisheries.
- Striving towards the accomplishment of the Belmopan Plan of Action, and intensifying efforts on protecting at least 30 percent of the oceans’ area by 2030 is the minimum needed to maintain ocean health.
