Global Ocean Commission Report on Ocean Health
Image Courtesy: epSos.de at Wikipedia
By Mike Madsen
The Global Ocean Commission has reached a conclusion about our world’s oceans, and it isn’t good.
But there is hope.
The Global Ocean Commission is an independent, international commission focused on the high seas – the portion of the ocean outside national waters that represents no less than 45% of the Earth’s surface. They have been conducting a study for some time now, researching the state of our global oceans to determine its health. They listened to experts from science, academia, business and NGOs and identified eight proposals that show what needs to be done to stimulate a cycle of ocean recovery.
- A UN sustainable goal that places the ocean at the forefront of the UN’s post-2015 development agenda.
- Proper high seas governance, with a new global agreement for the conservation and use of marine species; the appointment of a UN special representative for the ocean to co-ordinate all laws and agreements relating to it; and the creation of regional sea management organizations and ocean ministers at country level to create stronger co-ordination between ministries.
- The halting of over-fishing by putting an immediate cap on fuel subsidies for high seas fisheries and eliminating them in five years.
- The elimination of illegal and unregulated fishing by implementing a range of measures, such as all vessels having to carry a unique identification number and transponders, a ban on the trans-shipping of fish at sea, and countries refusing illegal vessels access to ports.
- Adopting international binding protocols for safety and environmental standards for offshore oil and gas exploration, including provisions for emergency response.
- The establishment of a global ocean accountability board to measure global progress towards meeting goals to help oceans recover.
- Making the high seas a no-go area for industrial fishing if this new board finds that oceans continue to decline.
- Coordinated action by governments, the private sector and the public to stop plastic from entering the sea.
The Global Ocean Commission suggestions are made with the understanding that if we do not implement these changes, our world’s oceans are at risk of being made incapable of sustaining life as we know it.
Here’s an excerpt from the foreword, written by the Commissions co-chairs:
“The task of saving the global ocean is one that no government or company or individual can achieve alone. Stopping the abusive and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and freedoms, and restoring ocean health, requires a coalition for change with a clear mission. We are convinced that if the package of eight proposals that we now put forward is expeditiously acted upon, it is possible, within the next decade, to reverse the degradation of the global ocean.”
Please read the full report for yourself by clicking here.
Sources:
http://missionocean.me/
