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<p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold details of the proportion of
areas beyond national jurisdiction covered by these arrangements. The United Nations
Environment Programme has oversight of the 13 Regional Seas programmes. There are
also five other “partner programmes” and the UK is a leading member in two of these
– the Antarctic Treaty System and the Convention for the Protection of the Marine
Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention). It is also an observer
in the Arctic Council.</p><p>There are six Regional Fisheries Management Organisations
which manage highly-migratory species and ten of which manage fish stocks by geographical
area. Each Regional Fisheries Management Organisation has its own underpinning international
legal agreement with different powers. The UK does not participate in every Regional
Fisheries Management Organisation and we do not hold details of each of their powers.
In general, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations cannot create Marine Protected
Areas, but some do implement fisheries closures to protect Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems.</p><p>The
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources does have the
legal power to establish Marine Protected Areas and has designated the South Orkney
Marine Protected Area.</p>
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