As global leaders head to the U.N. Biodiversity Conference<\/a> next week, a new report<\/a> issued a stark warning: The world Despite ambitious goals<\/a> set two years ago at the last biodiversity conference, only 8.3 percent of marine areas are currently protected, and just 2.8 percent are effectively managed with strong protections, according to the report commissioned by the Bloomberg Ocean Fund in partnership with a consortium of environmental organizations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since 2022, the total ocean area reported as protected has only increased by 0.5 percent. At current rates, just under 10 percent of the world\u2019s oceans will be protected by 2030 \u2014 a far cry from what scientists say is needed to stop the loss of marine biodiversity, stem the climate crisis, and protect communities that rely on oceans for food and livelihoods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFundamentally, the 30 percent target is about ensuring the long-term survival of our oceans and ourselves \u2014 and it\u2019s not happening fast enough or at a big enough scale,\u201d said Laure Katz, who leads Conservation International\u2019s global ocean protection work. \u201cOceans have reached their max in terms of how much fish can be extracted, how much heat they can absorb, and how much carbon dioxide and pollution they can take. They’re on the brink<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The report offered five recommendations to\u00a0drive progress<\/a>\u00a0toward the \u201c30×30\u201d target.\u00a0 Countries must significantly boost marine protections, both within their national waters and in international waters known as the \u201chigh seas,\u201d which are largely unexplored<\/a> and unprotected. Reaching the 30 percent target will be impossible without protecting more of the high seas<\/a>, Katz said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Blue Nature Alliance<\/a>, an initiative co-founded by Conservation International to accelerate marine conservation, is working with partners in all five oceans, from the coasts to the high seas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In Antarctica\u2019s Southern Ocean, for example, the Blue Nature Alliance is supporting a coalition of partners and governments working toward the creation of four new marine protected areas (MPAs), which, if designated, would be a significant contribution to the 30×30 target \u2014 and a sign of \u201cwhat it\u2019s going to take to beat expectations and move the needle,\u201d Katz said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not enough to mark areas as protected \u2014 they need to be effectively managed and regulated. In Latin America, for example, nearly 27 percent of marine areas are designated as MPAs, but only 2.5 percent are considered effectively protected, according to the report. To bridge this gap, governments must enforce stronger regulations to prevent mining<\/a>, oil extraction and other harmful activities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe quality of the intervention matters,\u201d Katz said. \u201cIt is not just about protection, but also implementation. That first step after designating a protected area is the hardest one. Going from a line on the map to a place with actual implemented management is a big commitment. It means building out governance and making sure MPAs have adequate staffing and financing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Indigenous Peoples and local communities play a vital role in marine conservation and must be central to decision-making. The report calls for governments to recognize Indigenous rights<\/a>, adding that traditional knowledge and practices should guide the management of protected areas. Furthermore, the report calls for significant increases in financing to support Indigenous-led conservation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Promoting Indigenous-led conservation is a hallmark of Conservation International and the Blue Nature Alliance\u2019s approach. In Canada, for example, the alliance supported coastal First Nations<\/a> in securing US$ 335 million last year to develop sustainable economic initiatives and protections in the Great Bear Sea, off British Columbia\u2019s northern coast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re learning from our Indigenous partners,\u201d Katz said. \u201cIt’s really about listening to the leadership and vision of coastal communities, voyaging societies and other communities with deep wisdom of the ocean.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Currently, global biodiversity finance is only a fraction<\/a> of what\u2019s needed. Effective ocean conservation requires sustained funding for management and monitoring. The report urges developed nations to fulfill their commitments to contribute US$ 20 billion annually to developing countries by 2025 and US$ 30 billion by 2030. It says funding for scientific research to guide the creation of new MPAs should be prioritized.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Accurate data is critical for monitoring progress toward the 30×30 goal. The report notes that many MPAs are currently self-reported with no verification of their effectiveness. Reliable data is essential to ensure that MPAs are well-connected and equitable \u2014 and achieve global biodiversity goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Though the report is a \u201csobering reality check,\u201d Katz said recent successes point the way for putting ocean conservation on track.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the South Pacific, the tiny island nation of Niue has committed to protect 100 percent of its ocean area and last year launched a new financial mechanism<\/a> that enables contributors to sponsor a square kilometer of its waters. Several organizations, including Conservation International and the Blue Nature Alliance, have already committed to sponsor more than 15,000 square kilometers (nearly 6,000 square miles) of ocean.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Earlier this year, with support from the alliance, the Dominican Republic designated a new marine protected area<\/a> and expanded<\/a> an existing sanctuary, becoming the first Caribbean nation to achieve the 30 percent protection milestone. And this month, the Australian government quadrupled<\/a> the size of its Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve, a move that will help protect Antarctic marine life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ahead of next week\u2019s U.N. Biodiversity Conference, the report,\u00a0<\/span>which Conservation International was not part of,\u00a0shows where countries need to come together, Katz said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDespite the leadership in many places, we are collectively not doing enough,\u201d she said. \u201cThe pathway forward for the health of the planet is to cooperate. We need cooperation \u2014 in the high seas, in the Southern Ocean, in countries that are building effective marine protected areas. Partnerships accelerate action and we need more bold action.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Further reading:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\n is falling short of its pledge to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Tuna](\"https:\/\/ciorg.imgix.net\/images\/default-source\/default-album\/ci_68350328?&auto=compress&auto=format&fit=crop?&auto=compress&auto=format&w=800\")
1.\tExpand marine protected areas \u2014 fast\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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\u00a9 Cristina Mittermeier\/sealegacy<\/h6>\n