June 2017
As part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Agenda 2030 process, this week’s UN conference will shine the spotlight squarely on ocean health and resilience. Of the 17 agreed Goals – many of which also address marine protection in some shape or another – Goal 14, the focus of this week’s conference co-organised by the Governments of Sweden and Fiji, specifically addresses the need to protect, restore and sustainably use our oceans and seas. As part of the conference programme, governments, businesses, NGOs and others will propose commitments to bring the health of our blue planet back from the brink of irreversible change.
A particular focus will be to ramp up progress on establishing well-connected networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at a range of scales, from the High Seas to local bays. MPAs represent one of the best ways to allow marine ecosystems to recover and thrive – so long as they are properly financed, receive strong community support, and are managed and monitored effectively.
The UN Convention for Biological Diversity has already set out an international target (Aichi Target 11) for at least 10% of the world’s coastal and marine areas to be conserved through “effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures”. However, despite welcoming some recent progress, major gaps still exist globally – including here in the UK, where although the 10% target is met robust management has not been achieved. A headline percentage on MPAs only stands up if adequate enforcement regimes are in place, without which these are just ‘paper parks’.
At home, Link has been pushing the UK Government to designate an ambitious third tranche of English MPAs – known as Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) – to help complete the UK network, filling in particular gaps for seabed habitats, deeper zones and mobile species. Following the general election, we will continue to campaign for MCZs. As well as this, we are fighting to give the marine environment a louder voice in Brexit negotiations, in order to ensure that the protections currently guaranteed by the EU are maintained and enhanced at the time we leave.
The wider 2030 Agenda provides the opportunity to move the sustainable development debate from the traditional ‘three pillar’ approach (where the environment is treated as independent to societal and economic sustainability) to a ‘wedding cake’ one. This means recognising that a healthy biosphere (both on land and at sea) is the fundamental basis for a sustainably functioning society and, in turn, economy.
It is crucial, now more than ever, that we move beyond economic gain at any cost and place ecosystem value centre stage. Our seas are warming, acidifying and rising at unprecedented levels, and many countries risk food shortages, seawater incursions and malnourishment. Some island nations even risk disappearing altogether.
NGOs are already pledging strong commitments for New York to show that we are ready to step up to the plate on ocean protection. Collectively, we are the voice of the whales, sharks, seabirds, reefs – even the smallest plankton – and we will continue to stand up for the millions of citizens who care about the considered and responsible management of both our own waters and those on the other side of the world. We will also fight for the three billion people who rely on the sea for their protein, and the 800 million or so whose livelihoods are directly tied to the oceans – and perhaps more importantly to the decisions world leaders choose to make affecting them.
All eyes will be on them this week, and into our shared future.
Alec Taylor
Marine Governance Programme Manager, WWF UK
Find Alec on Twitter @1TakeTaylor
The opinions expressed in this blog are the author’s and not necessarily those of the wider Link membership.
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