The Impact of TRIPS and CBD on Coastal Communities

Abstract

"This report intends to assess the implications of the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for coastal communities' access to, and control over, aquatic biodiversity. To this end, it reviews marine biodiversity, coastal communities' traditional ecological knowledge systems (TEKS) and the biodiversity they have conserved, and the industrial exploitation of marine genetic resources; it then analyzes TRIPS and the CBD as applied to marine biodiversity, and the implications of TRIPS and the CBD for both coastal States and fishing communities' access to marine resources, control over their knowledge, and share of the benefits; lastly, it ends with some proposals for further research and action by the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)."