Improving the management of the marine environment through international cooperation and dialogue between MPA managers and stakeholders lie at the core of the EU Ocean Governance project. The Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5), taking place from 3-9 February 2023 in Vancouver, provides a platform for fruitful exchanges between ocean conservation professionals, high-level officials, local communities and indigenous peoples. Driven by the goal to protect 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030, which is also enshrined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, IMPAC5 will facilitate knowledge transfer and the exchange of best MPA practices across countries and generations.
The EU Ocean Governance team will have a prominent presence at the event and host several sessions (see list below) about its work, more specifically about the importance of MPA manager networks, of support for marine mammals in MPAs, as well as Resilience Management. The sessions on MPA networks are focused on knowledge-sharing around topics such as innovation and transformational change and how to maintain institutional financial coordination. Further, the speakers will talk about how to incorporate the aspect of climate change resilience into MPA management plans, while another session will explore methodologies to monitor progress towards the 30×30 goal and the UN SDGs.
IMPAC is held every four years and organised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the host country, which in 2023 is Canada. Originally scheduled for autumn 2022, the IMPAC5 Secretariat had to postpone the event in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ocean Governance team is all the more excited to dive into the preparations to contribute with their project to an inspiring and impactful congress, and to network with old and new partners.
The congress can be attended in person or virtually – register here and get to know the EU Ocean Governance project in Vancouver!