UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.5 states that by 2020 we should 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
The ocean is the world’s largest ecosystem and is understood to host up to 80 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity.
Food: Unsustainable consumption patterns threaten the health of nature and people. Currently, we consume 34 per cent of fish stocks at unsustainable levels, largely due to illegal, unreported or unregulated activities (IPBES, 2022).
Shifting the Rhythm of Nature (Phenology): Disrupted and unpredictable weather patterns affect the lifecycles (breeding, egg laying, spawning, migration, etc.) of countless species (Frontiers, 2022).
Protected Areas: Marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective, area-based measures to conserve biodiversity – including marine sanctuaries, parks and reserves – have seen substantial growth over the last decade (SDG Report, 2022).
When managed, protected, and restored, the ocean and ocean ecosystems deliver wide-reaching vital services to people and the planet.
A healthy ocean is critical to meeting global climate, sustainable development and biodiversity goals. Utilizing nature-based solutions and developing sustainable seafood and aquaculture practices creates opportunities for both people and nature.
UNEP’s ‘Sustainable Blue Economy Initiative’ aims to facilitate sustainable ocean-based economic, social and environmental benefits within the planetary boundaries of the world’s ocean and coastal ecosystems.
Marine Protected Areas generate wide-ranging benefits by preserving and protecting biodiversity and recovering biomass in the marine environment.
Coral reefs support more than 1 billion people through their invaluable ecosystem services and are home to more than 25 per cent of all marine life. They harbour the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem globally, making them one of the most biologically complex and valuable habitats on the planet.
Mangroves support rich biodiversity and are documented to be associated with 1,533 different species.
Seagrass meadows cover just 0.1 per cent of the ocean floor but provide valuable nursery habitats for 20 per cent of the world’s largest fisheries.
Salt marshes provide food, refuge and nursery habitats for many species, making them essential for healthy fisheries and communities.
