Technological tools for Monitoring, Control and Surveillance in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction

Monitoring Control and Surveillance (MCS) will be crucial to ensuring compliance with management measures developed under a future international agreement on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). Tools for MCS have been drastically extended by a range of new technologies and techniques using previously unavailable or inaccessible data sources, while there is no clear and singular MCS solution. A key challenge facing MCS is an excess, not a lack, of data available through the different technologies which is further compounded by potential skills shortages for data interpretation. There may be resistance to MCS tools by e.g. the fisheries sector concerned about control over the industry, while some fishers may also view MCS as way to prove that their fish was sustainably caught and provide them with a market advantage. The key challenge currently facing MCS tools is a lack of appropriate policy approaches and governance mechanisms for the design and implementation of the available technologies. Any future successful options will need to be co-created with stakeholder to ensure appropriate design and early buy-in amongst different sectors.