UN Mulls Treaty for Maritime Biodiversity
United Nations has agreed to convene an intergovernmental conference aimed at drafting a legally binding treaty to conserve marine life and govern the mostly lawless high seas beyond national jurisdiction. By calling to preserve vast areas threatened by pollution, overfishing and global warming, the eventual UN treaty would be the first to specifically address protection of marine life, says an AFP report. But the agreement was reached only after a small group of countries engaged in fishing and ocean mining blocked a more rapid timeline during the discussions between experts from the 193 member countries. A majority of nations called for quick action but several countries such as the United States, Russia, Canada, Iceland and Japan expressed reluctance.
Interferry Welcomes EEDI Decision
Trade association Interferry has welcomed the decision at last week’s session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) to proceed with a sector-specific methodology for establishing energy efficiency requirements for ro-ro cargo and ro-pax vessels. The Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirements for most other ship types – due in force from 2013 – had been agreed during a previous session, when an extended timeline was approved for ro-ro ferries due to the extensive variation of ships within this segment.