One of the markers of how the economy is developing is transport, the area I work in. Today was the busiest day of the year so far. I only work part time – but it took me till 8pm to finish today.
And it was hot – the sort of day when you close the windows to keep the heat out – even if it is raining.
I managed to take some time out to connect with a friend – sounds like he has a really interesting charity work setting up.
The SDG tonight is number 14 Life Below Water “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.
This is something people have trouble with in terms of boundaries. We often talk about “our fishing grounds”. But actually fish don’t have passports, they don’t respect lines we draw on maps. Fish like Tuna migrate long distances. Thankfully we have international treaties requiring us to manage resources – shame we tend to bend the rules.
The targets for this goal are:
- By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
- By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
- Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
- By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
- By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
- By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
- By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
- Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
- Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
- Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want
In reality we know very little about what lives in the sea – some estimates are that we might only have identified 10% of the species in the oceans. I remember helping out with one deep sea investigation looking at causes of ships sinking. The investigation was using a deep sea remote vehicle to take images. On that short investigation there were several new species asked for selfies – maybe as important a discovery as the causes of the ship sinking.
But we do know that of the fish we know the levels are dropping – in the last 40 years more than 20% of species have dropped below the sustainability levels. Ocean acidity is rising.
But it isn’t all bad news. Over the last 35 years the main international convention (UNCLOS) has been signed by over 160 countries.
We can certainly do what the graphic suggests and use less plastic to protect the seas – but we could also learn from countries like India who have banned single use plastic on ships in their territorial waters.
There has just been a webinar this week on the subject- you can watch the recording (almost 2 hours – and you might need to understand more than one language).