The Interface between Ecological Restoration and Ocean Fisheries Governance: Restoration of Marine Ecosystems through Regional Fisheries Management Organizations

Abstract

The United Nations has designated 2021–2030 as the 'Decade on Ecosystem Restoration' to urgently rehabilitate degraded ecosystems and advance Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14, which focuses on marine ecosystems. This paper examines the intersection of ecological restoration and ocean fisheries governance within Regional Fisheries Management Organizations. Marine ecosystems face severe threats from overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution. This paper highlights that RFMOs, which oversee nearly two-thirds of the global ocean, have the potential, through their framework already supporting passive ecological restoration approaches, to promote sustainable marine resource use by integrating ecological restoration into their conservation and management measures. It also underscores the need for a robust governance framework, arguing that effective ecological restoration within RFMOs requires not just cooperation, but enhanced collaboration among RFMOs and other institutions. This collective effort, facilitated by agreements such as the BBNJ, can leverage collective expertise and resources to tackle marine ecosystems restoration.