In Part 1, we talked about the emphasis being placed on the protection of the world’s oceans because they are essential to life here on Earth. Covering 70 percent of the globe, they are unique in so many ways, yet we have done a considerable amount of damage to them.
Let’s look at two important areas of concern. The first area of concern is our marine protected areas, those parts of the ocean that are safe havens for all forms of marine life. And going hand-in-hand with protected areas of the ocean is the need for protecting the fish stocks the oceans provide, not only for food but as a source of income for 12 percent of the world’s population.
Marine Protected Areas – Why we need them
The term Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can include marine reserves, fully protected marine areas, no-take zones, marine sanctuaries, ocean sanctuaries, and marine parks, to name just a few. Much like national parks, the level of protection and range of activities allowed can vary a great deal.
These areas are needed because they provide a safe haven for ocean life and also provide a place for depleted marine resources to recover. Many of the MPAs serve as laboratories, allowing scientists to do research that benefits mankind. MPAs properly managed also create conditions that bolster fish stocks and tourism.
But more importantly, the health of the ocean has never been more threatened than it is today. Not only does a decline in the health of our oceans impact on the marine ecosystem and biodiversity, but the world’s climate and economy, as well as human life.
Interestingly, with all the world’s oceans, only about three percent of the total is designated MPAs, and less than one percent is “fully protected.” That is really a very small part of all the oceans when you consider how important they are to life on Earth. Just think about it for a minute – The oceans provide food for billions of people, supply half the oxygen we breathe, and help to regulate the weather and climate.
At the 2014 and 2015 Our Ocean Conferences, attendees agreed to new commitments that would protect nearly 6 million square kilometers of the ocean, an area more than twice the size of India. This year’s conference is looking to meet a target of setting aside fully 10 percent of our oceans as MPAs by the year 2020, an ambitious goal, to be sure, but one that is attainable.
Toward sustainable ocean fisheries
Fish stocks not only nourish us, but they also sustain local economies and attract tourism dollars. And while seafood provides protein for millions of people, from fishermen to chefs to families everywhere, the ocean’s supply can’t keep up with the ever-increasing demands of humans.
We have already seen what over-fishing can do to cod and albacore tuna, as well as key species of rockfish because we have taken too many and left to few to reproduce. Our fisheries are threatened by this unsustainable type of fishing. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, just over 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks are overfished and harvested unsustainably.
Another 58 percent of our fish stocks are being fished at the maximum of their sustainable levels, making any increase in harvests a threat to the fish populations. The Our Ocean Conference wants to see countries develop initiatives that require scientifically-based, effective, and precautionary management to ensure the long-term sustainability of fish stocks worldwide.
We have seen what happens when illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is allowed to go on in some countries. This practice costs the world economy billions of dollars every year. One effective way to reduce this illegal activity is for countries to adopt the FAO’s Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing.
Quite simply, this would mean that a fishing vessel would be denied entry into a country’s ports if it was suspected of IUU fishing practices. But this is something that everyone needs to agree to, otherwise, the practice will continue. We also need more scientific data, better management and enforcement of regulations by all countries in protecting our ocean’s fish stocks.
And, again, we need to be reminded that global fish stocks are dependent on the overall health of our oceans. We already have evidence that climate change has caused an increase in ocean temperatures, causing some fish populations to move to cooler waters, leaving traditional grounds. We have also seen an increase in the number of die-offs of fish and shellfish populations due to toxic algae blooms
Combining marine sanctuaries and fisheries makes the two problems easier to understand because it will take a concerted effort by multiple agencies and industries to remedy these problems, It will take a global initiative using a variety of tools to strengthen our laws and regulations, as well as enforce them.
