Oceans are home to ecosystems and biodiversity that are of great importance to ecology, culture and the livelihoods of millions of people. But with some 64 percent of the oceans’ surface consisting of areas that lie beyond the national jurisdiction (ABNJ), effective management of fisheries and conservation of biodiversity in these areas pose a serious challenge. ABNJ have risen to the top of the global ocean agenda and are being discussed at the highest governmental levels. But a concerted international effort is still needed to translate agreed principles into strong global and regional policies that guarantee the protection of these valuable areas.

The Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Program (ABNJ) - often referred to as Common Oceans - is a broad-scale, innovative approach to achieve efficient and sustainable management of fisheries resources and biodiversity conservation in marine areas that do not fall under the responsibility of any one country. In this interview, Jeremy Turner, the FishCode Program Manager in 2014, at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), provides a general overview of the program and its primary goal to promote efficient and sustainable management of fisheries resources and biodiversity conservation.