This is crunch point for our oceans: let's do the right thing

[nitpicker]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/19/crunch-point-oceans-treaty

This is crunch point for our oceans: let’s do the right thing

Gillian Anderson

Mon 19 Aug 2019 07.00 BST Last modified on Mon 19 Aug 2019 07.04 BST

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As a passionate advocate for marine conservation, last year I was one of almost three million people who backed Greenpeace’s Protect the Antarctic campaign, calling for the creation of a 1.8m sq km (695,000 sq mile) ocean sanctuary. The proposed sanctuary in the Weddell Sea would have been the largest protected area on Earth, offering a safe haven for penguins, seals, whales and other marine life. It would have made these pristine waters off-limits to oil exploration and the fishing industry.

Sadly, this historic opportunity was lost when members of the Antarctic Ocean commission from China, Norway and Russia derailed the process and blocked the proposal.

But the fight did not end there. Today, governments will begin negotiating the first draft text of a global ocean treaty at the UN in New York that would cover waters that lie beyond national borders. This vast expanse of sea covers almost 50% of the Earth’s surface. If they get it wrong the treaty could entrench many of the worst practices that are impacting our oceans. But if they get it right the treaty could pave the way for the creation of a network of ocean sanctuaries, making 30% of our marine world off-limits to human activity.

The science is clear. Oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, which is killing coral reefs and other fragile ecosystems. Plastic pollution is choking marine life and 90% of large fish such as sharks, swordfish and tuna have been hunted from our seas. The lack of effective governance in international waters has left them open to exploitation from fisheries and extractive industries such as oil and gas. Now a new threat is emerging. Leading scientists have warned that our oceans face severe and irreversible harm from deep-sea mining, with companies queuing up to extract metals and minerals from the seabed.
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We need a strong global ocean treaty because right now there is no single regulatory body that bears overall responsibility for effectively managing and safeguarding our oceans. Only 0.8% of international waters are effectively protected. Ocean governance is fragmented across various bodies, leaving marine life vulnerable to ever-expanding human activities.

We have the solutions. We must tackle the root causes of the climate emergency, stop burning fossil fuels and transition to 100% renewable energy. And we must also look after our oceans to mitigate the impacts of a warming climate. Greenpeace and other environmental organisations, together with scientists and a growing number of governments, are calling for a network of ocean sanctuaries covering at least a third of the world’s oceans by 2030. A global ocean treaty is the first step towards ensuring that our blue planet will continue to sustain the lives of billions of people.
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