Namibia has missed the deadline to become a signatory to the United Nations High Seas Treaty, which came into force last Saturday.
The director of marine ecosystem and marine research in the fisheries ministry, Graça D’Almeida, told The Namibian last week that Namibia intends to ratify the agreement but missed the deadline to ensure it aligns with national laws.
“We also need to know if we have the capacity to implement this agreement,” she said.
The agreement deals mainly with marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction and falls largely under the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
She said a committee was needed, including the Ministry of Works and Transport, to analyse the pros and cons and how Namibia would benefit.
D’Almeida said since the agreement has already collected 60 instruments of ratifications, Namibia is only left with an option of acceding to it.
Marine biodiversity consultant Rod Braby adds that Namibia should join the treaty as it has a number of important marine biodiversity sites which can be conserved and used sustainably under this agreement.
For example, he says, Namibia has the vital Ecological or Biologically Significant Marine Areas and the Walvis Ridge, stretching from north of the Kunene River to the remote Tristan da Cunha archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, which is an area beyond national jurisdiction.
