Oceana says that it finds the final Rio +20 declaration to be a weak statement of intent, with no legally binding commitment that fails to respond to the urgent conservation and management needs of the world''s oceans.
However, the organisation does acknowledge the recognition given to the oceans at the summit as a positive step.
"The final document does not show any solid progress, only weak statements of intent which in most cases simply reiterate existing targets from other texts. For the sake of consensus, they have sacrificed the commitments that are urgently needed to restore the health of our oceans," said Xavier Pastor, executive director of Oceana Europe. "It only takes a little historical perspective to see that outcomes of the final Rio+20 text or having no text at all, would be the same."
Rio +20 has called on counties to commit to urgently achieving the maximum sustainable yield by 2015 as defined at the Johannesburg Summit in 2002, that is, depleted fish stocks must recover to levels that will generate the largest possible catch over an indefinite amount of time. Moreover, it appeals for the adoption of management plans based on scientific data, including the reduction or suspension of catches.
The final declaration also recalled the commitment under the Convention on Biological Diversity to protect 10% of coastal and marine ecosystems, which has been delayed from 2012 to 2020 due to failed compliance by signatory countries. The text furthermore recognises the importance of marine ecosystems in the high seas and the necessity of their sustainable use, stating its commitment to creating an international tool in the context of UNCLOS to tackle this.
