Summary/Abstract
The Scientific Groups to the London Convention and London Protocol developed an Assessment Framework for Scientific Research Involving Ocean Fertilization. The Assessment Framework is designed to help regulators assess whether proposals for ocean fertilization constitute legitimate scientific research that is not contrary to the aims of the London Convention or Protocol. The Assessment Framework was adopted by resolution LC LP.2(2010) in October 2010 and is included as Annex 6 of the Report of the 2010 Meeting of the Contracting Parties.
The Assessment Framework provides criteria for an initial assessment of a proposal and detailed steps for completion of an environmental assessment, including risk management and monitoring. Importantly, it does not contain a threshold below which experiments would be exempt from its assessment provisions. Every experiment, regardless of size or scale, should be assessed in accordance with the entire Assessment Framework. However, it is acknowledged that information requirements will vary according to the nature of each experiment. It would be inconsistent with the Assessment Framework and resolution LC LP.2 (2010). for Parties to establish their own national thresholds to exempt some experiments from the Assessment Framework this time.