Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
   


Our ocean is one of our biggest allies in the fight against global heating, but we are running out of time to protect it.

Ocean protection key to climate policy: New report

WORLDWIDE
Tuesday, July 27, 2021, 07:10 (GMT + 9)

‘Blue carbon’ report and open letter delivered to leaders: Ocean protection is key to climate policy

The carbon stored in ocean ecosystems, such as mangroves and seagrasses, can help protect us from runaway global heating, yet is being largely ignored by policymakers, a new report from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) says. The report is backed by an open letter signed by over 7,000 marine and climate scientists, human rights experts, public figures and others, which is being delivered to world leaders today, World Mangrove Day, calling on them to make ocean protection a keystone of climate action.



The open letter, which is also backed by 90 NGOs from across the globe, will be delivered to policymakers on World Mangrove Day. More than half of biological carbon is captured by marine life, yet this ‘blue carbon’ is currently neglected in climate policy, the letter states.

If properly restored and protected, coastal blue carbon ecosystems ­– such as mangroves, seagrasses, saltmarshes and kelp forests ­– could sequester up to 200 million tonnes of the CO2 humans currently emit every year.



Undervaluing and degrading blue carbon habitats is also a serious risk, the report and letter warn. The current annual loss of seagrass is estimated to release around 299 million tonnes of carbon every year, and for coastal wetlands that figure rises to 450 million tonnes. Only 7.7% of the ocean falls into marine protected areas, and only 1.2% is beyond national jurisdiction, meaning that the high seas – which make up roughly 61% of the ocean’s surface – are almost completely unprotected.

The letter and report urge national leaders to:

  •     Include specific, legally binding targets to protect and restore blue carbon environments in their updated Nationally Determined Contribution implementation plans.
  •     Commit to the 30x30 ocean protection plan and designate 30% of the ocean as ecologically representative marine protected areas by 2030.
  •     Agree an international moratorium on deep sea mining to protect the deep sea from irreversible, large-scale harm.

The report also highlights the importance of UN Convention on Biological Diversity negotiations, now twice delayed due to the pandemic, which must set binding, measurable biodiversity restoration and conservation targets and leverage technical and financial support for developing nations to meet such targets.

While both the report and letter showcase the golden opportunity blue carbon provides, they also stress that the protection of these habitats must not be used as a substitute for ambitious decarbonisation, which is needed across all sectors, in a ‘whole of the economy’ approach.

CEO and founder of EJF Steve Trent says: “The twin crises of climate and biodiversity combined are an existential threat to humanity. If we do not completely reshape our relationship with the natural world, we will be the authors of our own suffering.

This is why our leaders must act now, and act decisively, to halt this crisis while putting environmental justice at the centre of our world view. That means recognising the ocean as one of our biggest allies in the fight against global heating.”

editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media


 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE NEWS
United States
Jul 3, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
New Report Unlocks Opportunities for Norwegian Snow and King Crab in the U.S. Market
Indonesia
Jul 3, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
Indonesian Fisheries Sector Sees Strong Growth in Q1 2025, Exports Up 6.5%
United Arab Emirates
Jul 3, 05:20 (GMT + 9):
UAE Drives Aquaculture Expansion with Focus on Exports, Sustainability, and Food Security
Norway
Jul 3, 02:00 (GMT + 9):
Norway Reopens Land-Based Aquaculture Licensing with Stricter Rules
China
Jul 3, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Scientists Convene in Shanghai to Discuss Giant Squid Conservation and Management
Brazil
Jul 3, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Embrapa Leads Groundbreaking Research to Slash GHG Emissions in Tilapia Farming
Viet Nam
Jul 3, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Beyond Farming: Vietnam's Unique Grip on the Global Pangasius Industry
Norway
Jul 2, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
Revolutionary Norwegian Project Transforms Industrial CO₂ Emissions into Sustainable Salmon Feed
Ghana
Jul 2, 05:00 (GMT + 9):
Ghana's Aquaculture Set for Sustainable Boost as ASC and Chamber of Aquaculture Forge Strategic Partnership
Norway
Jul 2, 04:00 (GMT + 9):
HAV Design to Deliver New Live Fish Carrier for North Salmon Service
Norway
Jul 2, 04:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - MS Veidnes Christened in Hammerfest
Viet Nam
Jul 2, 04:00 (GMT + 9):
Vietnam's Seafood Sector Navigates Global Headwinds to Meet Ambitious Export Targets
Spain
Jul 2, 02:00 (GMT + 9):
Cepesca Takes Spanish Fishing Demands to Brussels in Historic Meeting
China
Jul 2, 00:20 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - China Partially Lifts Ban on Japanese Fishery Products
Spain
Jul 2, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - 'Tuna Tour Try Dive': The New Experience to Dive Among Hundreds of Bluefin Tuna



Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
Fisherman's Day: Beyond the Ritual
Peru Every June 29th, as tomorrow, Peru fervently celebrates Saint Peter's Day and —in honor of his profession— Fisherman's Day. This deeply symbolic date combines religious devotion to the apo...
Vietnam's Tuna Exports Rebound in May 2025 Amid Global Trade Shifts
Viet Nam Producers Navigate US Tax Concerns and Middle East Instability by Diversifying Markets. HANOI – After facing headwinds in early 2025, Vietnam's tuna exports saw a significant recovery in May, r...
Argentina's Shrimp Industry Faces Unprecedented Crisis, Billions in Losses Amid Labor Dispute
Argentina Five Thousand Workers Unemployed, Over US$200 Million in Export Losses as Unions and Fishing Companies Lock Horns Over Wages. BUENOS AIRES – Argentina's vital shrimp fishing industry is grappli...
Anchovy-Dominated Diets Threaten West Coast Salmon, Study Reveals Fatal Vitamin Deficiency
United States New Research Links Ocean Shifts to Thiamine Deficiency, Killing Half of Endangered Chinook Fry and Deepening Salmon Crisis. SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A widespread vitamin deficiency, triggered by an ...
 

Umios Corporation | Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Aquaculture Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2025 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER