GIWA - Global International Waters Assessment

Major intergovernmental agreements and actors

Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean
The Convention was signed in 1992 and entered into force in 1993. The objective of the Convention is to promote the conservation of anadromous stocks in the Convention Area. Contracting Parties are Canada, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the United States. The Convention Area covers the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and its adjacent seas, north of 33 degrees North Latitude beyond 200-miles zones of the coastal States. Species covered by the Convention are Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Pink salmon, Sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, Cherry salmon, and Steelhead trout. According to the Convention, directed fishing for anadromous fish in the Convention Area is prohibited. The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) is the executive body of the Convention. The Parties to the Convention cooperate in the conduct of scientific research under the NPAFC Science Plan.

North Pacific Marine Science Organization, PICES
PICES is an intergovernmental scientific organization. It was established in 1992 and its present members are Canada, People's Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, and the United States of America. The purposes of PICES are to promote and coordinate marine research in the northern North Pacific and adjacent seas especially northward of 30 degrees North; to advance scientific knowledge about the ocean environment, global weather and climate change, living resources and their ecosystems, and the impacts of human activities; and to promote the collection and rapid exchange of scientific information on these issues.

UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP
Within the Water Resources Programme under its Environment and Natural Resources Development Division, the UN ESCAP organizes seminars and workshops on various issues relating to water resources, including: Water resources assessment; Integrated water resources development and management; Protection of water resources, water quality and aquatic ecosystems; River basin development and management; Promotion of infrastructure development and investment for drinking water supply and sanitation; Water pricing and promotion of private investment in the water sector; Water demand management, water saving and economic use of water; and Mitigation of water-related natural disasters, particularly flood loss reduction.

UNEP Regional Seas Programme
The Regional Seas Programme was initiated in 1974 as a global programme implemented through regional components. The Regional Seas Programme is UNEP's main framework in the field of the coastal and marine environment. It includes 14 regions and three partner seas, involves more than 140 coastal states, and focuses on sustainable development of coastal and marine areas. Each regional action plan is formulated according to the needs and priorities of the region as perceived by the Governments concerned. Regional conventions are in place for several areas. See a map of all regional seas, and go to more information on the Black Sea, Wider Caribbean, Mediterranean, East Asian Seas, South Asian Seas, Eastern Africa, Kuwait Region, North West Pacific, Red Sea And Gulf of Aden, South East Pacific, North East Pacific, South Pacific, Upper South West Atlantic, and West and Central Africa. The UNEP Regional Seas web site also contains information on What's at stake, Major threats, and Actions.

Bering and North Pacific Ocean Theme Page, NOOA
An information resource for the scientific investigation of the biology, oceanography, meteorology and ecology of the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean. Here one finds, e.g., an Environmental Atlas for the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean.

The West Bering Sea — a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME)
A Large Marine Ecosystem, LME, is a "region of ocean space encompassing coastal areas from river basins and estuaries to the seaward boundary of continental shelves and the seaward margins of coastal current systems. It is a relatively large region characterized by distinct bathymetry, hydrography, productivity, and trophically dependent populations." See also Rhode Island University map of LMEs.