The overall objective of the Seamounts Project is to develop ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management for areas of significant biological and commercial importance (i.e. seamounts) located in areas beyond national jurisdiction, the high seas.
The project will address the three main barriers to sustainable fisheries management and marine biodiversity conservation in the high seas:
- Lack of scientific knowledge about seamount ecosystems and their relationship with fisheries resources
- Lack of comprehensive and effective governance frameworks for marine biodiversity in the high seas
- Difficulty of managing offshore fish stocks, including monitoring, control and surveillance
