Monthly Archives: November 2018

by | 2018/11/30 · 11:47 PM

CBD: new EBSAs in the Baltic agreed to

A final step for nine ecologically unique marine areas in the Baltic Sea to be included in a global registry was taken during the UN Biodiversity Conference held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 17 to 29 November 2018. Altogether, the nine so-called Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) cover 23 percent of the Baltic Sea waters. The new EBSAs were identified in Helsinki earlier in February 2018 during the Baltic EBSA workshop convened by the UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. More information is available here.

The nine new EBSAs in the Baltic Sea. Source: HELCOM

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Filed under International Organizations

by | 2018/11/26 · 10:25 AM

Call for Papers: International Organizations Workshop

The International Organizations Interest Group (IOIG) of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) shall host its biennial Work-In-Progress Workshop, 15 March 2019, at Seton Hall School of Law (Newark, USA). Abstracts must relate to the study of international organizations, with one signature topic of particular note for law of the sea submissions being Beyond National Jurisdiction: Human Activities in the Oceans, Polar Regions, Cyberspace and Outer Space. Abstract submissions are welcome until 1 December 2018.

For further information see here.

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Filed under Calls, Events

by | 2018/11/20 · 3:30 AM

Guinea Bissau-EU: Sustainable Fishing Partnership Agreement signed

The European Union and Guinea-Bissau have signed a new Sustainable Fishing Partnership Agreement (SFPA) protocol. This protocol will allow the EU fleet to fish in Guinea Bissau waters for a duration of 5 years. The protocol foresees the transition from the current system based on vessel capacity to a system based on catch limits (TAC), applicable for the last three years of the agreement. The protocol also includes improved monitoring, thanks to the introduction of an Electronic Reporting System (ERS), which will become mandatory from the third year on. More information is available here. The protocol agreed to in 2011 may be found here.

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Filed under State Practice

by | 2018/11/15 · 2:44 PM

Call for Papers: International Law and Emerging Powers – New Policy Challenges in the Asia-Pacific

The Chinese (Taiwan) Society of International Law shall host an ILA-ASIL Asia-Pacific Research Forum, entitled,  International Law and Emerging Powers: New Policy Challenges in the Asia-Pacific, from 17-18 May 2019 at Howard Civil Service International House (Taipei, Taiwan). Numerous areas of international law suggested by the organizing committee would accommodate law of the sea papers. Paper proposals are welcome until 10 December 2018.

For more information and submission see here and here.

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Filed under Calls, Events

by | 2018/11/15 · 12:18 PM

EU/UK: Draft Withdrawal Agreement Reached at Negotiators’ Level

On 14 November 2018 the Draft Withdrawal Agreement and Outline of the Political Declaration on the Future Relationship were finalised and agreed at the negotiator level. This is now subject to legal verification, whereby the final agreement and declaration are subject to endorsement and adoption, respectively.

Arrangements relating to fishing opportunities during the transition period are found within Article 130. If an agreement on the future EU-UK relationship is not applicable by 31 December 2020, the single EU-UK customs territory forming part of the “backstop solution” (Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, Article 6) will exclude fishery and aquaculture products “unless an agreement on access to waters and fishing opportunities is applicable between the Union and the United Kingdom”. The Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration both highlight the commitment to “use their best endeavours to conclude and ratify such an agreement before 1 July 2020”.  The Protocol relating to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus preserves EU fisheries law for Sovereign Base Areas (Article 6), while the Protocol on Gibraltar establishes UK-Spain coordinating procedures for fisheries (Article 4).

See further the Joint Statement (14 Nov 2018), Déclaration par Michel Barnier and the European Commission recommendation to the European Council.

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Filed under State Practice, Treaties

by | 2018/11/14 · 12:50 AM

Japan: coastal areas designated under Ramsar Convention

Japan has designated two coastal areas, Shizugawa-wan (Ramsar Site no. 2358) and Kasai Marine Park (Site no. 2357), as Wetlands of International Importance, while extending a third, Lower Maruyama River and the Surrounding Rice Paddies (Site no. 2055), in order to reinforce its conservation value. This designation took place under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. More information is available here

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Filed under State Practice

by | 2018/11/08 · 1:16 PM

Conference: Regional Cooperation for the Protection of the Marine Environment

The Centre for International Law (National University of Singapore) shall host a conference, entitled, International Conference on Regional Cooperation for the Protection of the Marine Environment, 15–16 January 2019 (Singapore).

To register, see here.

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Filed under Events

by | 2018/11/08 · 1:10 PM

Seminar: Governance of Arctic Shipping

The Centre for International Law (National University of Singapore) shall host a seminar, entitled, Governance of Arctic Shipping: Recent Developments & Prospects, 15 November 2018, at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus (Singapore).

For further information and registration, see here.

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by | 2018/11/08 · 12:02 PM

Call for papers: Ocean Yearbook Student Prize 2019

The Ocean Yearbook‘s annual competition for students writing research papers on “marine affairs” is open to submissions until 13 May 2019. The Student Prize 2019 will include publication in a subsequent issue of the Ocean Yearbook. A definition of maritime affairs is included within the call.

For more information on eligibility and submissions, see here.

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Filed under Calls

by | 2018/11/05 · 11:45 AM

Call for papers: 10th MARE Conference

The Centre for Maritime Research (MARE) is hosting its 10th international People and the Sea Conference. The event will take place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on June 25-28, 2019. This conference, which is preceded by a policy day (June 24, 2019), is entitled “People & the Sea X: learning from the past, imagining the future”. It features six stream topics:  1) Making a living from coasts and oceans; 2) Framing, knowing and dreaming coasts and oceans; 3) Governing, steering and managing coasts and oceans; 4) Navigating, touring and experiencing coasts and oceans; 5) Appropriating, contesting and criminalizing coasts and oceans; 6) Innovating, technologizing and tracking uses of coasts and oceans. Deadline for panel, paper proposals and other conference formats is January 31, 2019. More details are available here.

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by | 2018/11/05 · 11:18 AM

Baltic Sea: maritime boundary agreement between Denmark and Poland reached

Denmark and Poland have agreed on a maritime boundary that, once it enters into force, will delimit the Continental Shelfs and the Exclusive Economic Zones of the two countries in the Baltic Sea, south of Bornholm. The disputed area is approximately 3.600 km2. It is the last outstanding delimitation in the area of Bornholm. The maritime boundaries between Bornholm and Sweden were settled in 1984 and between Bornholm and Germany in 1988. The joint press statement may be found here and here.

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