The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) as coordinator of the STRONG High Seas project has received observer status at the meetings of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO).
SPRFMO is an inter-governmental organisation working for the conservation and sustainable use of the fishery resources of the South Pacific Ocean. The SPRFMO Convention applies to the high seas of the South Pacific, covering about a fourth of the Earth’s high seas areas. SPRFMO is an essential actor to the STRONG High Seas project and the advancement of regional ocean governance. The observer status enables IASS and the STRONG High Seas project to submit relevant research documents to the Commission and its subsidiary bodies, as well as participate in the deliberations, but not in the taking of decisions. Ben Boteler of the IASS, co-lead of the STRONG High Seas project, attended the 6th Annual Commission Meeting from 30 January to 03 February 2018 in Lima, Peru, as an observer.
