academic and intergovernmental organisations. Several key oceans issues were under discussion, and

despite long and laborious talks, the oceans issues on the whole fared best and achieved the most

positive final outcomes.

On HIGH SEAS PROTECTED AREAS: States adopted a list of scientific criteria for the selection of

marine protected areas in open ocean waters and deep-sea habitats. In completing a global network of

marine protected areas until 2012, states will now have to use these criteria (e.g., uniqueness, rarity,

vulnerability, sensitivity etc.) to protect areas of the high seas. States also adopted a list of scientific

guidelines that should be considered in ensuring that the network of sites is representative and well

balanced. These criteria largely reflect those used by Greenpeace in its report, ‘Roadmap to Recovery’.

The convening of an expert workshop was also agreed in order to guide the identification of high seas

marine protected areas. Unfortunately, due to the kick back from Iceland and China, this group is not

explicitly mandated with drawing up a list of candidate sites (although people expect that it will in any

case have to draw up some form of list). Germany and Canada have already committed to

hosting/funding the expert workshop on identification of HS MPAs.

On OCEAN FERTILISATION: The crazy idea of dumping large amounts of nutrients (iron or nitrogenbased)

into the ocean to stimulate the growth of algae blooms, which may then act as a carbon sink,