The conservation of marine mammals such as spotted seals and finless porpoises is essential for maintaining the health and biodiversity of marine ecosystems in North-East Asia. Despite existing national and regional efforts, there is no structured, transboundary, and science-based cooperation to address shared threats such as habitat degradation, bycatch, and pollution. The IUCN Red List classifies the finless porpoise as Endangered and the spotted seal as Least Concern, highlighting differing levels of risk but a shared need for strengthened conservation responses.

The side event “Collaborating for Conservation: Protecting the Yellow Sea’s Biodiversity and Ecosystems”, held as part of the 10th Our Ocean Conference, brings together key partners to explore collaborative solutions for conserving the Yellow Sea’s critical wetlands, migratory species, and marine biodiversity. Bordered by China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Korea, the Yellow Sea is one of the world’s most important coastal ecosystems, facing mounting threats from climate change, habitat degradation, and unsustainable practices.

The session "Harmonizing Oceans: Transboundary Strategies for Climate Resilience in North-East Asia" at the East Asia Seas Congress 2024, organized by the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and ESCAP, will focus on addressing climate change impacts on marine ecosystems. This session will highlight the role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) under CMSP (Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning) regime in North-East Asia in fostering regional resilience against climate impacts and promoting ecosystem conservation. 

Marine and coastal ecosystems are facing unprecedented threats from climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, which endanger both marine environments and coastal communities. Recent global and regional agreements, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan, and ESCAP Resolution 79/2, emphasize the need for urgent, coordinated action. MPAs are a key tool in addressing these challenges by enhancing the resilience of marine ecosystems, protecting blue carbon habitats and supporting biodiversity.

The first “MPA Talk” took place virtually on 28 March 2024, gathering members of the Steering Committee (China, Republic of Korea, and the Russian Federation) of the North-East Asian Marine Protected Areas Network (NEAMPAN). Its primary goal was to discuss how to strategically revitalize NEAMPAN reflecting its achievements and challenges over the past decade.

The Marine Mammal Twinning, part of the EU-funded Ocean Governance Project, is pleased to host a webinar in collaboration with The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), and the North-East Asian Marine Protected Areas Network (NEAMPAN) – North-East Asian Sub-Regional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC).

Our oceans are facing unprecedented threats. With increasing scientific evidence of adverse impacts of climate change, ocean acidification, marine pollution, habitat destruction and the alarming loss of coastal biodiversity, the world stands at a critical juncture where collective knowledge, efforts and partnerships to restore, protect and manage marine ecosystems are urgently needed.  

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are designated with long-term aims to conserve ecosystems and support livelihoods in the coastal areas. As such, MPAs should play critical roles in combating climate change and enhancing resilience in the ocean and coastal areas, and there needs further discussions to understand the impacts of climate change and MPAs’ roles to address them in North-East Asia.

The 3rd Steering Committee Meeting of the North-East Asian Marine Protected Areas Network (NEAMPAN) will be organized virtually at 15:00-17:00 (GMT+9) on 23 April 2021. Following the adoption of the NEASPEC Strategic Plan 2021-2025 and guidance of the 24th Senior Officials Meeting (2020) of NEASPEC, the SC-3 is expected to discuss NEAMPAN activities in 2021 and beyond.