February 4, 2016
McInnes Cooper lawyers Wylie Spicer and Sara Mahaney are among the team members conducting a large analysis of the first periodic review of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The ISA is the regulator of the “Area”, the largest space in the world of the seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. The review is being carried out pursuant to Article 154 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This Article requires a general and systematic review of the ISA every five years. This review is the ISA’s first, after 22 years of existence.
Interest in the ocean floor has been intensifying in recent years as the potential for harvesting minerals and other natural resources becomes more real. An assessment of how the ISA is performing in responding to its new mandate is a critical piece in ensuring that the activities on the ocean floor are carried out in an environmentally sound way for the common benefit of mankind.
Using a regional approach, intensive reviews the ISA’s official documents, workshops, questionnaires, and interviews among other methodology will be done. Other team members include, Professor David Johnson, Professor Phil Weaver and Dr. Vikki Gunn of Sescapes Consultants, UK, Dr. Angel Perez of Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Brazil, Akuila Tawake, Secretariat of the Pacific Community and Dr Dire Tladi, a member of the International Law Commission and a professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
An interim report is expected to be considered by the Assembly of the ISA at its 22nd Session in July 2016 with the final report to be submitted in 2017.
Aug 22, 2024
In early April 2024, Nova Scotia’s Energy Reform (2024) Act (Bill 404) passed, marking the beginning of a new direction for Nova Scotia’s…
Feb 23, 2024
On January 24, 2024, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court upheld the N.S. Environment Minister’s approval of a proposed windfarm development’s…
Nov 1, 2023
On October 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its judicial reference opinion: a significant portion of Canada’s federal…
Aug 8, 2023
We updated this publication on August 10, 2023. The Nova Scotia commercial net-metering regime just took another step toward implementation.…
Jan 25, 2023
Buzz around the potential of hydrogen as a green energy source has been growing. And the Atlantic Canadian provinces are poised to become a key…
Nov 10, 2022
Updated August 8, 2023. October 2022 amendments to the N.S. Renewable Electricity Regulations ushered in a new Commercial Net-metering regime…
Jun 24, 2022
The New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench has issued a court order to stop Indigenous fishers (all apparently members of the Wolastoqey Nation)…
Jun 6, 2022
The Federal Court’s April 22, 2022 decision in Mowi Canada West Inc. v. Canada (Fisheries, Oceans and Coast Guard) has implications for the…
Nov 10, 2021
On November 5, 2021, the Province of Nova Scotia passed the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act. The Act will serve as the…
Jun 1, 2021
NOTE: On November 12, 2024, the Hague Court of Appeal quashed the decision of the Hague District Court in Milieudefensie et al v. Royal Dutch…
Jan 20, 2021
We updated this publication on July 8, 2022. 2020 was a year filled with challenges, including in the relationship between Indigenous…
Dec 22, 2020
The long-awaited amendments to federal fisheries regulations codifying key aspects of the Department of Fisheries & Oceans (DFO) PIIFCAF…
Nov 22, 2019
The Environmental Emergency Regulations, effected under section 200(1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and in force since…
Dec 7, 2016
Updated February 7, 2024. We live in a world of change. New ideas and new industries are rapidly developing and the list keeps growing: tidal…
Nov 9, 2016
The balance between the public’s interest in accessing offshore petroleum resources data and operators’ commercial interests is at the heart…
Dec 21, 2015
A practical and current guide created to help you navigate the increasingly important issues surrounding offshore decommissioning and…
Jun 26, 2014
On June 26, 2014, in its groundbreaking decision on Aboriginal title in Tsilhqot’in Nation v. B.C., the Supreme Court of Canada …
Subscribe to McInnes Cooper to stay current with our leading insights on legal updates, trends, news, events, and services.