A proposal for MPAs participation in areas beyond national jurisdiction: the case of Macaronesia

Resumen

The Ocean is the largest ecosystem on the planet, supporting millions of people’s livelihood. Marineprotected areas (MPAs) are key to guarantee Ocean resilience. About 62% of the Ocean surfacecoincide with areas 200 miles from coastlines, called areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).However, MPA in ABNJ are only 1,18% of the high seas. Stakeholder involvement is a keystone ingovernance process. Especially in Macaronesia, with the need for compatibility between humanactivities and conservation, through the synergetic engagement of the local-maritime community.The present paper aim to develop a proposal of a well-managed MPA in ABNJ context, through expertconsultation. The proposal was compared with Macaronesia region study case. Results showthat there is not only one integrated international body to fully addresses the range of problems tobe tackled, to treat it models as Conference of Parties seems to be more adequate. ConsideringMacaronesia region specificity, the conclusion is that select local focal points in each archipelagoto enhance the local maritime community is essential. Furthermore, it would be necessary toimplement Working Groups, rotative between archipelagos, to address different solutions for localconservation practices. Invest in clear communication is fundamental since the very beginning toguarantee visibility and transparency.