The Northwest Pacific region features a high diversity of marine and coastal species ranging from boreal to subtropical. However, the highly-dense population in the region is putting enormous pressure on marine and coastal biodiversity.
In the past decade, the four regional activity centers of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan have conducted studies and assessments including seagrass mapping, assessing threats to marine biodiversity, abundance and distribution of invasive species, collection of information on endangered species, monitoring and management of marine protected areas, and evaluating the state of the marine environment of the Northwest Pacific region. Nevertheless, without a clear direction on marine biodiversity conservation, each center implements its activity as directed by their focal points.
Policymakers from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation agreed in 2018 to develop a Regional Action Plan on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Conservation (RAP-BIO). The plan envisages to come to a common understanding of the future direction of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan, coordinate the activities of each of the four Northwest Pacific Action Plan’s regional activity centers and contribute to more effectively conserve marine biodiversity. Finally, the plan significantly contributes to achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals in the region.
In September 2019, experts and policymakers from China, Japan, and the Russian Federation met in Toyama, Japan at the 17th Focal Points Meeting of the Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Centre of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan to discuss and agree how to move forward with the development of the Regional Action Plan on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Conservation. Since Korean experts could not participate in the meeting in person, they sent their inputs and comments by email. The meeting agreed that a separate dedicated workshop would be organized in November 2019 to discuss a roadmap, which had been prepared by a group of consultants. This meeting will be held back-to-back with another meeting. The latter will focus on working areas of marine and coastal biodiversity in the region and the role of each of the regional activity centers.
The plan will be ready by 2022 and will be considered for adoption by member states by 2023.
