Regional Seas

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:海洋ガバナンスの最新動向と国際枠組みの進展を把握するための包括的なレビュー。

🏢実務担当者:ブルーエコノミーや海洋関連のサステナビリティ戦略を検討する際の背景情報として有用。

🏛政策担当者:国際的な海洋政策の方向性を理解し、国内政策や国際協力の参考にできる。

Ocean governance has entered a more structured and implementation phase, marked by the consolidation of international commitments and their translation into regional and sectoral action. Across global and regional fora, the focus has increasingly shifted from agenda setting to operationalizing legal and policy frameworks addressing marine biodiversity, climate change, pollution, and the sustainable use of resources. A key milestone is the tenth Our Ocean Conference, held in Busan, Korea, on 28–30 April (<https://www.ouroceanconference.org/conferences/busan-2025/>). The conference focused on ‘Digital Oceans,’ underscoring the important relevance of data governance, monitoring systems, and technological innovation in supporting compliance, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making in ocean-related policies. Among the most significant outcomes, the host country’s Blue Action Plan outlined a comprehensive set of measures combining climate, fisheries, pollution, and blue economy priorities. These included targeted actions to address ocean-based climate impacts through adaptation strategies and the enhancement of nature-based carbon sinks, alongside substantial investments to strengthen fisheries governance, improve traceability, and support coastal communities. Additional commitments focused on scaling up a sustainable blue economy through the deployment of data-driven management tools, digital technologies, and the expansion of marine renewable energy and ecotourism. Notably, the conference also advanced policy responses to marine pollution, with new initiatives promoting a full life-cycle approach to marine litter, including waste reduction, improved management systems, and measures such as fishing gear recycling. Taken together, these commitments reflect an increasing integration of environmental, economic, and technological dimensions within ocean governance as well as a growing emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable outcomes. This trajectory was further reinforced at the twenty-fourth Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Programme, convened on 11 June in Nice, France, in conjunction with the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (<https://www.unep.org/events/conference/twenty-fourth-global-meeting-regional-seas-programme>; <https://unocnice2025.org/en/>). The meeting resulted in the adoption of the Regional Seas Strategic Directions 2026–29, providing a coordinated framework to guide the implementation of global commitments at the regional level. Particular attention was given to aligning regional action with key international instruments and targets, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as well as the emerging regime under the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction. Taken together, these developments reflect an evolving legal and institutional landscape in which regional seas frameworks are increasingly positioned as operational hubs for the implementation of international ocean governance. This year, the Arctic emerged as a key arena for advancing sustainable ocean governance, scientific cooperation, and inclusive policy-making. The year opened in Tromsø, Norway, with the Arctic Youth Conference (24–26 January), the first event of its kind, placing young leaders at the centre of Arctic decision-making. The initiative highlighted the growing importance of youth engagement and intergenerational dialogue in shaping future ocean and climate policies (<https://arctic-council.org/news/inaugural-arctic-youth-conference-a-new-space-for-the-young-arctic-leaders-of-today/>). Immediately following this, also in Tromsø, Arctic Frontiers 2025, which was held on 27–30 January, focused on resilience across environmental, economic, and social systems (<https://www.norden.org/en/arctic-frontiers-2025-0>). A key theme was ecosystem-based management, which is seen as essential for balancing marine resource use with biodiversity protection. Discussions also emphasized the strategic importance of Nordic cooperation and the expanding role of multi-use marine spaces in sustainable ocean development. Scientific priorities took centre stage during the Arctic Science Summit Week 2025 and the fourth International Conference for Arctic Research Planning (20–8 March) in Boulder, Colorado (<https://icarp.iasc.info/engagement/events/19-icarp-iv-summit-arctic-science-summit-week-2025>). The Summit outlined research directions for the next decade, with a strong focus on climate dynamics, ecosystem responses, and the resilience of Arctic marine and coastal systems within the global environment. A significant policy transition occurred on 12 May, when the Arctic Council formally passed its chairship from Norway to Denmark during its fourteenth meeting (<https://arctic-council.org/news/14th-meeting-of-the-arctic-council/>). Denmark’s 2025–27 program places oceans at the heart of its agenda, prioritizing marine conservation, spatial planning, pollution reduction—including marine litter and microplastics—and safer Arctic shipping. The program also promotes the blue bio-economy and reinforces the role of Indigenous knowledge in ocean governance. During the meeting, the Arctic States and Permanent Participants issued a joint statement (the Romssa-Tromsø Statement) reaffirming their commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation in the Arctic and acknowledging the role of the Arctic Council as the pre-eminent forum for circumpolar cooperation for nearly three decades. It further recognizes the individual and collective rights of Arctic Indigenous peoples, their vital role in the Arctic Council, and their special relation to the Arctic. Later in the year, in Reykjavík, the Arctic Circle Assembly 2025, which was held on 16–18 October, brought together policy-makers, scientists, and industry leaders to address the intersection of geopolitics, climate change, and ocean systems. Key discussions focused on sea-ice decline, sustainable shipping, energy security, and innovation in marine sectors such as aquaculture (<https://www.arcticcircle.org/assemblies/2025-arctic-circle-assembly>). The forty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, held in Hobart, Australia, in October and November, concluded with limited concrete progress on long-standing marine protection goals. Despite this, the meeting underscored a shifting balance towards stronger protection of Antarctic marine ecosystems, even as geopolitical and economic pressures persist (<https://www.asoc.org/news/ccamlr-2025-closing-press-release/e-cc-44-rep.pdf>). At the heart of the debate were two closely linked issues: the creation of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Antarctic Peninsula and the regulation of krill fisheries operating in the same region. A bloc including Chile, Argentina, the European Union (EU) and its member states, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea successfully resisted proposals to expand krill fishing in ecologically sensitive areas. The proposed Antarctic Peninsula MPA—championed by Chile and Argentina and backed by over 150 scientific studies—remains one of four major protection plans still awaiting adoption. If approved alongside existing measures, these initiatives would protect up to 26 per cent of the Southern Ocean, contributing significantly to global ocean conservation targets. One tangible outcome was an agreement to strengthen transparency in fishing operations through new rules on trans-shipment at sea. All vessels involved will now be publicly listed. The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission Stakeholder Conference, held online on 31 March, highlighted the persistent threat of hazardous substances entering the Baltic Sea. Despite progress in banning legacy chemicals, participants stressed the need for a more integrated ‘One Baltic’ approach to reduce pollution and achieve the Baltic Sea Action Plan goal of a sea free from harmful contaminants. Regional cooperation was reinforced during the Council of the Baltic Sea States Ministerial Session, held on 15–16 May in Estonia (<https://cbss.org/event/ministerial-session-2025/>). Discussions focused on resilience and sustainability, including the development of green shipping corridors and a new initiative to create a digital twin of the Baltic Sea, using real-time data to better understand and manage marine conditions. Later in the year, the third Our Baltic Conference took place on 30 September, bringing together policy-makers and stakeholders to launch a renewed, integrated strategy addressing pollution, ecosystem management, maritime security, and support for coastal communities. The East Asian Seas region strengthened its approach to ocean governance through a series of initiatives addressing climate resilience, pollution, and data management and transparency. The year began with the thirty-third Executive Committee Meeting of Partners in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), held in Busan, Korea, and concluded on 28 April (<https://pemsea.org/index.php/resources/news/next-steps-2030-pemsea-maps-future-partnerships-33rd-executive-committee-meeting>). The meeting focused on extending the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia to 2030, aligning regional ocean governance with global frameworks such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. A key development was progress on the regional Blue Carbon Program, which aims to establish standardized methods to measure and certify carbon stored in coastal ecosystems, while also exploring new market mechanisms such as nature-based credits. Momentum continued at the seventeenth East Asian Seas Partnership Council Meeting, held on 22–3 July in Manila, Philippines (<https://pemsea.org/index.php/resources/news/17th-eas-partnership-co

• openalex https://doi.org/10.1093/yiel/yvag020first seen 2026-08-02 18:56:54 · last seen 2026-08-02 18:57:44