Image: Revista Puerto / FIS
A Bill for the ´Protection of the Argentine Sea´ Moves to Parliamentary Stage
ARGENTINA
Thursday, April 18, 2024, 01:00 (GMT + 9)
Last week, the initiative presented by Congressman Manes, prepared in conjunction with the Misión Atlántico de Chubut foundation, entered and was referred to committees. It provides for the creation and expansion of marine protected areas within the EEZ and outside the 12 miles of jurisdiction of the provinces. It could affect the development of fishing activity.
National deputy Facundo Manes presented a bill for the creation and expansion of marine protected areas and last week it took parliamentary status, being referred to committees, which is the first step of the legislative process.
According to the radical legislator, this bill responds to an international agreement that Argentina signed in December 2022 within the framework of the “Cop 15. Our Ocean”, which is the most important ocean summit in the world, the ninth edition of which will take place. is developing since Monday and until yesterday in Greece.
In the foundations of the initiative, Manes indicates that “in Argentina we have more than 500 threatened species. If wild ecosystems are not protected and the factors of their deterioration continue as before, today's threatened species will be practically extinct in less than 30 years."
In this framework, he maintains that “it cannot be ignored, either, that our country bases its economy on the wealth and productivity of its natural resources. Therefore, not protecting wild areas adequately also deteriorates our ability to satisfy human needs and produce,” he argues in the project.
Source: Stockfile FIS
He recalled that at the United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity (COP15) that ended in Montreal, Canada, on December 19, 2022, it took up this challenge and achieved a historic agreement to guide global actions in favor of nature until the year 2030.
On the other hand, he points out that "there is no doubt that protection must be carried out as part of a plan that is integrated into a global agenda, through the sanction and promulgation of a legal framework that guarantees the effective protection of the Argentine sea, to comply with the international commitment assumed to guarantee the preservation of 30% of the marine surface by the year 2030.”
Source: Stockfile FIS
Among the outstanding points of the initiative, its articles propose creating the Marine Protected Area called “El Rincón”, “Frente Valdés”, “Patagonia Azul”, “Frente Austral”, “Agujero Azul” and the expansion of the Marine Protected Area “Yaganes.”
The project developed and promoted by Fundación Misión Atlántico, was presented by the national deputy Facundo Manes. Misión Atlántico is a foundation created in Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, that works to promote environmental regulations and policies that guarantee the adequate protection of the "Argentine Sea".
The creation of these protected areas could have an impact on the development of fishing activity; Although the project is recent and has not yet begun its debate stage, it is necessary for the actors of the activity to have the possibility of expressing themselves in the progress of the discussion.
The last article states that "The enforcement authority of the National System of Marine Protected Areas created by law 27,037 must proceed to the categorization in the terms of article 5 of the aforementioned standard, of the Marine Protected Areas created or expanded by this law. Likewise, said authority must prepare the management plans for each of the aforementioned areas within a maximum period of five (5) years from the entry into force of this law, in accordance with the provisions of point VI of the article. 6th of Law 27,037. Until the management plans are approved, and for a maximum period of five (5) years, fishing activity in the areas created or expanded in this regulation that are not currently under the jurisdiction of National Parks, will be developed in the terms established by the Federal Fisheries Council".
Autor: Nelson Saldivia | Revista Puerto
editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media
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