MARINE NEWS IUCN GLOBAL MARINE AND POLAR PROGRAMME ISSUE 13 - SEPTEMBER 2016 MARINE NEWS Editorial Issue 13 -September 2016 In this Issue... IUCN Global Marine and Polar 1 Editorial by Sylvia Earle Reasons for Hope much of the ocean remains unknown, unexplored. Programme But we have discovered enough to understand that Rue Mauverney 28 the ocean governs everything from climate and 1196 Gland, Switzerland 2 IUCN GMPP & the Sustainable By Dr. Sylvia A. Earle Founder of Mission Blue and National weather, to planetary chemistry – generating oxygen, Tel +4122 999 0217 Development Goals taking up and holding carbon. Like all other living Fax +4122 999 0002 Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence things, we are essentially sea creatures, connected to the ocean with every breath, and every drop of water www.iucn.org/marine 4 Global Threats As thousands gather in Honolulu, Hawaii in Septem- we drink. The value of the ocean can no longer be Marine Plastics, Ocean Warming, ber for IUCN’s World Conservation Congress, there measured in tons of fish, barrels of oil and minerals, are plenty of reasons for despair about the declining Editing: Alexis McGivern, Ocean Warming Risk, Blue Carbon/ or as a place to dump waste. Now we know: The state of the natural world and the influence its degra- most important thing we extract from the ocean is Alex Clark and James Oliver Blue Forests, Blue Solutions dation is having on all people, everywhere. our existence. The most important thing we can put Design: Malini Pittet into it are protective polices that yield a healthy ocean 12 Global Coasts The headlines are grim, whether the topic is global and an enduring future for ourselves and that which warming, deadly diseases, profound poverty, or the we hold dear. Back issues available at: Maldives and REGENERATE, EU steep decline of wildlife, from orangutans to ele- http://www.iucn.org/theme/ Overseas, Vamizi, Western Grey Whales phants, crocodiles to corals. Despite efforts of caring Since the mid 1980s, nations with a coastline have marine-and-polar/contact/newslet- people globally, since the founding of IUCN in 1948, enjoyed jurisdiction over vast new areas, the Exclu- ter 23 Global Commons about half of the coral reefs, kelp forests, mangroves sive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical and sea grass meadows are gone, and ocean phyto- miles seaward from their shores. Coastal nations High Seas Implementing Agreement, Front cover: © William Win- plankton has declined by nearly as much. In a trajec- have enhanced opportunities – and heightened re- ram “The Woman and the Sea”- Deep Sea Mining, Arctic World tory similar to the decline of songbirds, raptors, wa- sponsibilities – to boldly embrace their blue borders, Freediver Andrea Asunsolo in the Heritage, Sargasso Sea Update, terfowl and whales early in the 20th century, the early and individuals in all nations have a vested interest in 21st century marks a time when 90 percent of many company of tens of thousands jack Seamounts the High Seas beyond national jurisdiction, about half fish in the Cabo Pulmo marine pre- fish species have been extracted from Earth’s aquatic of the world in total. serve (Mexico). realms: large sharks, groupers, snappers, halibut, 34 Other Initiatives cod, wild salmon and even brightly-colored reef A century ago, the U.S. National Park Service was Editorial Photo: © Todd Brown fish such as parrotfish and blue-green, giant-lipped founded to safeguard the nation’s natural, histor- Napoleon wrasse that look and behave like Cirque du ic and cultural heritage – an idea whose time had 38 Marine and Coastal News from Around Soleil performers. Back cover: © Sean Chinn come, as evidenced by the thousands of parks that the Union So, why do I tell children they are the luckiest people have been subsequently established globally. About IUCN FEG, Mediterranean, Asia, ever to arrive on Earth? Centre spread (Photo competi- 14 percent of Earth’s terrestrial forests, deserts, tion) Oceania, West Africa, WCPA, SSC meadows and mountains have been safeguarded There are plenty of reasons for optimism and hope, since then, but the concept of “Blue Parks” has been Top row - left to right starting with technologies that have made possible slower to take hold. Presently, only two percent of Andrew Margolin, Andrew Hume, 49 New Publications unprecedented discoveries about our place within the ocean has been officially safeguarded for fish and Caitlyn Webster, Christine Shepard, the planet that sustains us. For the first time, it is other wildlife. Some say restoring and protecting the Ivan Conesa, Diego Avila 51 Who we are possible to measure, document and communicate ocean requires extending this protection to at least the powerful impacts humans are having in ways we 30 percent. The highly respected ecologist, E. O. Wil- Second row could not even a few decades ago. We can map the son, makes the case for protecting at least half of the Katherina Becker, Christine Shepard, 54 IUCN Congress boundaries of our life support system and under- world to stabilize biodiversity loss and protect Earth’s Lauric Thault, Nicolas Bourquin, stand why protecting nature is neither a luxury nor basic life support functions. even an option – it is critical to our survival. Now we Vardhan Patankar 56 Where we work know. The World Conservation Congress could mark a Third row turning point, a shift from a long history of consuming David Higgins, Sean Chinn, Christine As the Congress is taking place on an island em- Earth’s living assets to a new era of caring for nature braced by Earth’s largest, deepest, oldest body of Shepard, Steve De Neef, Sean Chinn as if our lives depend on it – because they do. water, the Pacific Ocean, it is appropriate that the meetings will focus significant attention on the blue Fourth row part of the planet. Below the upper, sunlit surface, Dave Weeks, Sirachai Arunrugstichai, Guillaume Pepy, Sirachai Arunrugsti- 2 1 © Dan Laffoley 14.2 (continued) As part of its portfolio of projects in EU Overseas IUCN’s Marine & Polar Activity territories, IUCN has awarded grants to restore ecosys- tem Services and Coral reef quality in four Caribbean Contributing toward the Sustainable Development Goals island systems and is financing the establishment of inter-connected Marine Protected Areas in four island states in the Pacific. IUCN has also worked to ensure protection of the unique resources of the Sargasso Sea Reflecting IUCN’s aim to contribute to the food sources of coastal communities whilst pro- and establish MPA networks in the Mediterranean. delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals tecting them from harm. 14.3 IUCN GMPP and WCPA Marine continue to host the and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in Minimize and address the impacts of ocean International Reference User Group on Ocean Acidifica- the roll out of its programme of work for 2017- The exercise of matching activities with SDGs is acidification, including through enhanced sci- tion, a group of leading scientists in this field, with the 2020, it is important to recognise how IUCN’s difficult to complete accurately and exhaustively entific cooperation at all levels aim of compiling and communicating the latest scien- marine and polar activities around the world given the wide inter-connectivity between human tific findings in order to positively influence internation- contribute to these outcomes now and into well-being and the environment. Nearly all SDGs al policy and decision-making. future. Doing so guides conservation action lead one way or another to a need to maintain and aligns it with international priorities, many the health and vitality of the oceans, which play 14.4 IUCN and WCPA is actively trying to influence States of which have been integrated by IUCN’s donor such an important role in so many aspects of By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and to work towards sustainable management of high community. It also reinforces the often-under- human life. end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unreg- seas fisheries. We are going about this at global level ulated fishing and destructive fishing prac- through participation in UN governance processes and estimated role of living marine resources and For more information, please contact: ecosystems in preserving the livelihoods and tices and implement science-based manage- at regional level through the governance component of [email protected] ment plans, in order to restore fish stocks in Southern Indian Ocean seamounts project, funded by the shortest time feasible, at least to levels FFEM. IUCN has cooperated with the Southern Indian that can produce maximum sustainable yield Ocean Deep-sea Fishers Association to put in place UN Sustainable Development Goal IUCN Marine & Polar Activity as determined by their biological characteris- voluntary closures in highly sensitive areas for marine tics biodiversity. 2 - Zero Hunger: End Hunger, achieve food Aquaculture has the potential to feed millions of people security and improved nutrition and promote around the world and potentially reduce the pressure 14.5 IUCN and WCPA have consistently advocated for sustainable agriculture on wild fish stocks. IUCN has worked for many years By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of expanding ocean areas under protection so that the on the sustainability of aquaculture and, more recently coastal and marine areas, consistent with na- ocean has the capacity to recover from multiple and with the aquaculture and feed sectors looking at the tional and international law and based on the cumulative stresses. In partnership with IUCN’s Oce- sustainability of the fish feed supplying the industry best available scientific information ania Regional Office, IUCN GMPP worked to assist the and at the synergies between aquaculture and marine initial implementation phase of the Cook Island Marine protected areas.