The 2012 UN General Assembly Annual Composite Resolution on Oceans and Law of the Sea (see paragraph 199), noted the efforts of the Sargasso Sea Alliance - led by the Government of Bermuda - to raise awareness of the ecological significance of the Sargasso Sea.  This language was the result of a joint proposal from South Africa, UK and USA and lays the foundation for potential more elaborate language in the 2013 Resolution and beyond.    

Hamilton Declaration negotiations initiated   

From 2-4 December 2012, the Sargasso Sea Alliance convened a technical preparatory meeting of States and relevant international organizations to discuss the draft text of a political declaration which is planned to be approved by an inter-ministerial meeting in 2013 (the Hamilton Declaration). The Hamilton Declaration will be a political agreement amongst the States bordering the Sargasso Sea and the Range States of important species which spawn or migrate through the Sargasso Sea. The Declaration will seek to elaborate the ways in which these countries can voluntarily collaborate in such an effort. It also envisages the establishment of a Sargasso Sea Commission in Bermuda.   

Participant discussions at Hamilton Technical Preparatory meeting- The Pocantico Center of the  Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Credit: K. Morrison

Official representatives from the following countries attended: US, UK, Portugal, Sweden, Belgium, Dominican Republic, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, and the EU. In addition, representatives from international and regional organizations also participated as observers, including the UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, the UN Environment Programs for the Caribbean and West Africa, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and CARICOM. The meeting reviewed the aims and objectives of the Sargasso Sea Alliance, and its achievements to-date. It then reviewed in detail the draft text of the Hamilton Declaration suggesting improvements and flagging potential political issues to be resolved before the inter-ministerial meeting. A number of participants commented on how inspiring the sessions were, which helped them to galvanize their government's involvement with this process. The outcome is a much improved text which can be used for clearance at a political level by each of the participating governments.    

Please note that as the Declaration is a formal negotiating text, a public version is not available for distribution at this time.

CBD EBSA repository includes Sargasso Sea    

At a meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad, India, in October 2012, the Sargasso Sea Ecologically or Biologically Significant Area proposal (through a summary report provided by SBSTTA), was included in the EBSA repository maintained by the CBD Secretariat and be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly, as well as to Governments and relevant international organizations.This process was initiated in February 2012 in Recife, Brazil where the Sargasso Sea was "identified" as a potential EBSA at a regional CBD workshop, and following further review at the CBD SBSTTA in April 2012. 

International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas -ICCAT Science Committee considering Sargasso measures   

Andy Carroll, UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), Dr. Tammy Trott, Bermuda Department of Environmental Protection, and Prof. Howard Roe, Chair, SSA Senior Science Advisory Committee, participated in the ICCAT Commission meeting from November 12-19 in Agadir, Morocco. On the basis of a proposal put forward by UK Overseas Territories (Bermuda) with strong support from the EU, the US and South Africa, the ICCAT Commission resolved to ask its Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) to "consider potential effects of establishing conservation and management measures within the Sargasso Sea". The recommendation asks the SCRS to provide an update on the progress of the work in 2014 with final recommendations in 2015.  

 Scoping new international partnerships    

Additional international presentations

2012 Highlights

• Science Case published and disseminated globally
   
• Marine Mammal Sanctuary declared in Bermuda

• Sister Sanctuary Agreement signed with Stellwagen Bank
   
• OSPAR Secretariat Collaborative Arrangement signed with SSA Secretariat
   
• Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) decides to ask its Science Committee reviewing SSA Science Case
   
• Sargasso Sea awareness spread at International Maritime Organization (IMO) through side events and partner poster
   
• Peer-reviewed paper, "The Sargasso Sea Alliance - working to protect the Sargasso Sea" published in the International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law.