GLAND, Switzerland (6 Dec 2001) -- WWF, the conservation organization, is calling on governments attending the Global Conference on Oceans and Coasts in Paris to halt the chaotic, piecemeal approach to managing the world's seas by agreeing a global vision that will ensure their sustainable exploitation and long-term protection. Hosted by UNESCO, the conference which takes place from 3 to 7 December, is expected to review progress made since the 1991 Rio Earth Summit and put forward recommendations for next September's World Summit on Sustainable Development. These recommendations are likely to include a host of marine issues from international agreements to private incentives that promote the sustainable use of our seas. According to WWF, however, better governance of the oceans needs to be on the top of the agenda, in order to halt the current free-for-all on our seas that is emptying them of their resources and threatening the very survival of the one billion-plus people who depend on them for their main source of food and work. "The piecemeal approach that has been used to date to manage marine resources has only created chaos -- a free-for-all leading to overfishing, insensitive coastal development, pollution and climate change," said Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF's Endangered Seas Programme. "Governance and order can decrease the management chaos that is threatening many parts of the sea." WWF is particularly concerned that the world's fisheries are being depleted due to uncontrolled fishing capacity, particularly from developed countries. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, in the last 40 years, the demand for fish has been growing at twice the population growth. If this trend continues, WWF believes that the entire ocean ecosystem could be irreversibly damaged. | | For example, unregulated trawling fleets are decimating sea-mounts found in the high-seas, petroleum companies continue to violate vulnerable marine protected areas, and human-induced climate change is threatening coral reefs around the world. These activities are putting at risk the future of the world's fisheries, coastal communities and the entire marine environment. Governance at all levels is critical to reverse this crisis and restore a balance that is beneficial for all. Specifically, WWF is asking governments to eliminate harmful practices, such as subsidies to the fishing sector that contribute to overfishing. At the same time, WWF is urging governments to use a range of legislative and market-based instruments, such as the Marine Stewardship Council, to promote sustainable fishing. WWF also wants to see recommendations put forward in Paris that encourage governments to establish representative networks of marine protected areas, including on the high-seas, where there is no regulation at present. Adopting sound management principles should also be integral to the global marine agenda, including commitments to social equity as a basis for effective management and involving stakeholders at all levels. "The need for effective management of the oceans is not something that any responsible government can dismiss. Over recent years, we have seen resources pillaged and fish stocks decimated. WWF is calling for nothing short of a global vision -- one that ensures that exploitation does not exceed the seas' natural limits and takes urgent steps to safeguard areas of biological and economic importance for the future," Dr. Cripps added. SOURCE - WWF |
