The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020

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, 72(3): 1092–1104.
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Marine Science
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2
Garcia, S.M., Ye, Y., Rice, J. & Charles, A., eds. 2018. 
Rebuilding of marine fisheries. Part 1: Global review
. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 630/1. Rome, FAO. 
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Rebuilding of marine fisheries. Part 2: Case studies
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PART 2 
SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION
regional and international management 
authorities, and through cooperation and 
collaborations defined by multilateral agreements 
and treaties. 
How to mainstream biodiversity – multilateral 
agreements
The international community is responding 
to increasing concern about degradation of 
marine and freshwater ecosystems by working at 
international, regional, national and local scales 
on actions to conserve or restore biodiversity. 
Multilateral agreements are being negotiated 
to strengthen policies and practice, considering 
the needs of biodiversity as a core element of 
sustainable use. The aim of these agreements is 
to maintain productivity and resilience across 
aquatic systems through pre-empting and 
countering biodiversity loss.
A prominent example of the recognition of 
biodiversity’s essential role in sustainable use can 
be seen both directly and indirectly in several of 
the SDGs – especially SDG 14. FAO’s guidance 
to countries on how to meet the SDGs, includes 
“mainstream biodiversity and protect ecosystem 
functions” as a foundational principle for 
sustainable food production (FAO, 2018e). 
To support its Members, FAO is assisting a range 
of aquatic-related global policy forums relevant to 
the mainstreaming of biodiversity. Five exemplars 
are: (i) the establishment of the Post-2020 Global 
Biodiversity Framework; (ii) negotiations on an 
international legally binding instrument under 
UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable 
use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond 
national jurisdiction; (iii) the listing of species, 
as appropriate, and implementation of designated 
conservation actions under the appendices of the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered 
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); (iv) the 
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory 
Species of Wild Animals (CMS); and (v) the 
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International 
Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat 
(Ramsar Convention) – this an example of 
approaches that elevate the level of management 
across ecosystems. A summary explanation of 
activity for each of these, including its relevance 
to the fisheries and aquaculture sector, is 
provided below.