IMO’s Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) is about an identified area that is sensible and vulnerable to international shipping and is therefore protected by specific measures, to be avoided by ships or no-anchoring areas.
Specifically, concerning a PSSA, measures for its protection can be proposed and then adopted. The measures can be ship routeing systems, for example, to prevent ships sailing in these areas.
Yet, the area has first to be identified. The PSSA are those who are in line with specific criteria, such as ecological criteria, such as unique or rare ecosystem, diversity of the ecosystem or vulnerability to degradation by natural events or human activities; social, cultural and economic criteria, such as significance of the area for recreation or tourism; and scientific and educational criteria, such as biological research or historical value.
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Thus, IMO conducted a workshop in Nosy-Be, Madagascar, raising awareness to participants from Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania, and helping them understand potential marine areas that could be designated as PSSAs.
IMO’s work on PSSAs fully supports the achievement of the UN SDG 14 on the oceans. Up to now, 17 PSSAs have been designated.
