Oceana has listed 10 key ocean issues that it believes should be prioritised in 2016.
The organisation is calling on decision-makers to set ambitious policies for tackling them and is asking countries to “walk the talk” after having adopted the Paris Agreement at COP21, noting how important it is to ensure the integrity of all ecosystems, including the oceans, as well as the protection of biodiversity.
“The oceans are the primary source of life on earth but we continue to carelessly pillage their richness and compromise both their future and ours,” said Lasse Gustavsson, executive director of Oceana in Europe. “Oceana is sending a clear warning: problems created by humans can only be solved by humans. There are key actions that global leaders, decision makers, industry, and citizens can take in 2016 to start reversing the decline of our oceans.”
Oceana’s 10 key actions for 2016
- Protect and manage vulnerable habitats and species
- Catch no more than the sea can replenish
- Avoid the killing of unwanted sea life
- End illegal fishing and make those who profit from it legally accountable
- Protect deep-sea habitats
- Act against climate change
- Fight for a clean sea
- Move over to clean energies
- Invest more in marine research
- Raise awareness about the sea
