UK FCO Secretary of State confirms official support for the Sargasso Sea Alliance

In July, Henry Bellingham, UK Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with responsibility for UK Overseas Territories answered a Parliamentary question from UK MP Zac Goldsmith as to UK policy on the establishment of a marine protected area in the Sargasso (High) Sea.  

Bellingham told the House of Commons that members of the Sargasso Sea Alliance have met with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Transport to discuss the project. He reported that "The Government of Bermuda supports the proposal to provide appropriate protection for the Sargasso Sea. The UK Government, the Sargasso Sea Alliance and the Government of Bermuda are working together to this end through the appropriate fora ... In addition, the UK Government supports the work of the OSPAR Commission, under which seven Marine Protected Areas in ABNJ have been identified, in assisting the Alliance with its proposals."  

Bellingham further acknowledged that the current system in place for identify marine protected areas on the high seas is "piecemeal, and that the British Government is committed to establish a new Implementing Agreement to address the issue."    

The Alliance is proud to have convened 74 collaborators from over 10 countries and 11 science institutions. Special thanks to our authors and to co-editors Professors Dan Laffoley and Howard Roe.  

The Science Case, which synthesized data and other evidence for the Sargasso Sea, will be used as the basis for protection proposals at the IMO, ICCAT and other related international and regional entities.

OSPAR and SSA sign Letter of Collaboration  

In August, the OSPAR and SSA Secretariats signed a Collaboration Arrangement to "maximize opportunities for the sharing of research, expertise and practical experience in seeking to protect and manage the marine environment of the North Atlantic, particularly in Areas beyond National Jurisdiction." Brought together by adjacent marine ecosystems facing similar human threats and committed to the same progressive principles of marine environmental protection and the same international legal regime provided by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Secretariats look forward to continued collaboration.    

Eels featured at Zoological Society of London   

IMO Navigation Committee Meeting  

ICCAT Ecosystem Subcommittee Meeting  

Dr. Tammy Trott, Bermuda Department of Environmental Protection and Professor Howard Roe participated in the ICCAT Ecosystems Subcommittee meeting from 2-6 July 2012 in Sete, France. Their attendance furthered relationship-building with ICCAT scientists and updated the subcommittee on recent Alliance activities. The Alliance, through the Bermuda and UK governments, plans to submit a proposal to the full ICCAT Commission in November 2012. Details of the proposal are still being negotiated.  

Sargassum Research Collaborations  

Sea Education Association Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Symposium  

Planning for IUCN World Conservation Congress  

The Alliance will be unveiling our Science Case, The protection and management of the Sargasso Sea: The golden floating rainforest of the Atlantic Ocean-Summary Science and Supporting Evidence Case, to a global audience at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, Korea 6-15 September 2012.   

The Sargasso Sea will also be mentioned in two discussions on High Seas. Special thanks to the IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme, and SSA Steering Committee members Kristina Gjerde, Dan Laffoley and Jeff Ardron for featuring our case study.   

Events include:

High Seas Protected Areas: learning from success

This Knowledge Cafe will identify winning approaches that can be replicated on the high seas (areas beyond national jurisdiction), leading to the identification, designation and effective management of a representative system of marine protected areas (MPAs).

High Seas Conservation: how can we manage our common oceans responsibly?

After years of discussion at the United Nations, many States are now calling for a new multilateral agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. Come get an update on threats to high seas biodiversity and gaps in governance, debate the advantages and disadvantages of a new legal agreement, contribute on ways to improve the effectiveness of existing agreements, and help plan a better future for our global ocean commons.

SSA welcomes new support  

We are pleased to announce, with many thanks, additional support from the following three contributors to our 2012-2013 activities:  

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

Roger and Victoria Sant Founders' Fund

ALTERRA Bermuda Ltd.  

Eden Charles appointed as Ambassador

SSA extends congratulations to Eden Charles, a member of its Legal Work Group, for his recent appointment as Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary and Trinidad and Tobago's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ambassador Charles was noted for his contributions to international law at the United Nations, his appointment as lead negotiator for CARICOM on the Arms Trade Treaty, and his years of exemplary service to Trinidad and Tobago as a career diplomat in the Foreign Service.