Process and Prospects of Demarcation of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas(EBSAs)Under the Framework of "Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD)"
Affected by human activities and climate change,the marine biodiversity is confronted with severe threats.In order to protect and rationally utilize the marine resources,the ninth session of the Conference of the Parties(COP)to the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD)was convened in 2008 and adopted the scientific criteria for demarcating Geologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas(EBSAs)in open sea waters and deep sea habitats.In 2010,COP 10 decided to convene a series of regional workshops to unfold demarcation of EBSAs,all over the globe in line with the a-bove-mentioned criteria.A review was presented to introduce background and processes of the development of the EBSAs and summed up achievements the series of regional EBSAs workshops and the Sustainable Ocean Initiative(SOI)Workshop have made.In the end,works of the next step of EBSAs are discussed and countermeasures China should take in response are brought forth,so as to protect practically the marine rights & interests, and to promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of the marine biological diversity of the country.