This publication presents a legal and institutional gap analysis of the project area, covering five seamount regions, two of which are inside proposed Benthic Protected Areas (BPAs), Atlantis Bank and Coral Seamount, and three outside BPAs. It proposes improvements to the legal and institutional framework. This type of analysis identifies global and regional legal instruments and institutional arrangements which apply to the project area and assesses any legal and governance gaps related to the conservation of biodiversity in the project area.
Includes bibliographic references. This publication is to be read in conjunction with three others: one on seamount biodiversity (Volume 1), one on threats to seamount ecosystems (Volume 2), and a road map towards sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity (Volume 4).