Fourteen governments responsible for 40% of the world’s coastlines recently set out a series of commitments that mark the world’s biggest ocean sustainability initiative. Each country member of the High Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy, has pledged to ensure that all the areas of ocean within its own national jurisdiction are managed sustainably by 2025.
The countries – Australia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Palau and Portugal aim at building a sustainable ocean economy while their commitments also include the elimination of ghost fishing. The effort is b
Why these 14? “We decided to get a group where high politics wouldn’t get in the way and we could be focused on the task” says Vidar Helgesen, Norway’s former Minister of Climate and Environment and the driving force behind the project. The 14 world leaders want other countries to join the panel, to create a global sustainable ocean plan that they said could also have a major influence on the climate.
The new ocean action agenda is built upon knowledge and science, transformative recommendations, and action and backed up by a team of 253 scientists that conducted new ocean research on topics ranging from the flow of plastic waste to combating climate change.
The panel’s economists forecast that every $1 invested in a sustainable ocean would return $5 in economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Having worked since 2013 together with our partners towards sustainable use of marine litter, Healthy Seas welcomes this initiative.
Sources:
https://www.oceanpanel.org/
https://www.oceanpanel.org/ocean-action/files/executive-summary-ocean-solutions-report-eng.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/global-sustainable-fishing-initiative-agreed-by-14-countries
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2020/12/in-rare-show-of-solidarity-14-key-nations-commit-to-protect-oceans
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