Samoan Archipelago

The Samoan Archipelago is a western South Pacific biodiversity hotspot where seamount-enhanced albacore tuna productivity, coral spawning connectivity extending as far as the Cook Islands, and demonstrated cross-archipelago movements of hawksbill turtles and humpback whales linking to Fiji, Tonga, and French Polynesia — alongside Rose Atoll's globally significant sooty tern nesting colony of up to 135,000 birds — collectively establish this politically divided but ecologically unified archipelago as one of the region's most important marine biodiversity and connectivity centers. Protecting this transboundary area is essential to conserving a marine system whose ecological significance transcends national jurisdiction, where the Two Samoas Initiative's collaborative research and management commitment provides an exceptional governance foundation for conserving shared marine resources whose connectivity underpins the biodiversity and fisheries productivity of a much broader region of the western South Pacific.

Species of Concern: Musical furry lobster (Palibythus magnificus); Deepwater snapper (Lutjanus mizenkoi); Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata); Green turtle (Chelonia mydas); Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae); Sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus); Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga)

Restrictions

The United Nations designates this location an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area important for the healthy functioning of oceans. Management measures are not currently in place.
The modification of a description of an ecologically or biologically significant marine area, which can entail a modification of the textual description of the area, a modification of the ranking of the area against the criteria for such areas or a change in the location, shape, depth or size of the area, may be proposed for certain reasons enumerated in decision 16/16.
- Within national jurisdiction: Only the coastal State may submit descriptions or modifications. Submissions go through a 6-month public comment period, then SBSTTA and COP consideration for inclusion in the repository.
- Beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ): Any State (individually or collectively) may submit. Submissions are open for comment, workshopped, then reviewed by SBSTTA and COP for repository inclusion.
- Sovereignty safeguard: Any State may object to a submission on grounds of sovereignty disputes; objected submissions are frozen and cannot advance until the objection is withdrawn.
- Two-tier system: A formal repository (COP-endorsed) and a broader information-sharing mechanism (lower threshold, not COP-endorsed) are maintained.

Allowed

Nothing in the modalities shall prejudice the rights, jurisdiction and duties of States under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, including in respect of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf within and beyond 200 nautical miles.