Covering three-quarters of the planet's surface, the ocean is an engine of life. It is home to thousands of identified and millions of unidentified marine species 1; it is a source of food and medicine 2; as well as a source of income for millions of people who depend on marine and coastal ecosystems. In addition, it provides invaluable environmental services such as the absorption of carbon dioxide that helps to cushion the impact of global warming and the generation of oxygen, without which it would be impossible to breathe.
The ocean is vital to human life; however, our activity is wreaking havoc on their health. Acidification, global warming, overfishing, marine pollution, loss of biodiversity and destruction of habitats affect the ocean and, in turn, jeopardize the environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits it provides us.
Paying our attention to the ocean to restore its health and wealth would change the history of the planet and of humanity. At least that is the commitment of the new agenda of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, of which Mexico is part. The goal is to achieve by 2025 the sustainable management of 100% of the ocean area under the jurisdiction of the 14 member countries 3, under a vision of protection, production and prosperity (3).
Achieving a goal of such magnitude in just five years is an enormous challenge. The problems faced by the ocean are complex and require a comprehensive vision in which governments, companies, decision makers, civil society, academic institutions and ocean users themselves (fishermen, carriers, energy producers and tourists) work together to achieve the goal of a healthy and productive ocean.
For countries like Mexico, it means breaking with old paradigms and customs. It will be necessary to replace sectoral management with ecosystem-based management; top-down planning with inclusive, participatory and transparent planning; lack of coordination with coordination between government sectors and citizens. In general terms, it is necessary to adopt a comprehensive and participatory approach that facilitates systemic and equitable management of ocean resources and services.
This paradigm shift still seems far away, as policy decisions with the current government have been little inclusive of this type of issue. This has had negative consequences for the ocean. Hence, despite the opposition of various sectors of society, an energy policy based on the use of fossil fuels is prioritized over the generation of renewable energy, or that it is decided to reduce the budget for the management of protected areas, including marine ones, by almost 70% from 2016 to 2020 (4), all to the detriment of ocean health.
The path towards the goal of a healthy and productive ocean is not the same nor is it even for all the countries that make up the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. One of the basic elements for realizing a comprehensive approach to the ocean is to “participate in objective-oriented ocean planning” (5). In Mexico, however, the often conflicting interests of the current government force other interested groups to push the agenda more forcefully. The goal is short and pressing, so we can't wait for the government to take the initiative; ocean health and its sustainable use is a condition for human life, so let's defend it.
Bibliography:
(1) UNDP (2021). Objective 14: Underwater Life. Sustainable Development Goals. Available at: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/es/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-14-life-below-water.html
(2) Aguilar B., Inés, et. al. (2020). The important role of the ocean in the fight against COVID-19. World Resource Institute.
(3) Ocean Panel (2020). Transformations for a sustainable ocean economy. A vision for protection, production and prosperity.
(4) Gómez D. Thelma and Latam, Mongabay (2020). Protecting Protected Natural Areas is on hold due to budget adjustment. Political Animal. Available at: https://www.animalpolitico.com/2020/06/proteccion-areas-naturales-protegidas-mexico-vilo-ajuste-al-presupuesto/
(5) Stuchtey, Martin R, et.al. (s/f). Ocean solutions that benefit people, nature and the economy.
Notes:
1 According to UNDP, the ocean contains nearly 200,000 identified species, but the real numbers may be in the millions (1).
2 Only at this precise moment is the ocean playing a crucial role in the fight against COVID-19, since the ocean genome contains a rich source of antiviral compounds that are used in the development of tests for their detection (2).
3 The ocean area of the member countries (Australia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Palau and Portugal) represents 40% of the world's coasts and 30% of the world's exclusive economic zones. This is equivalent to 30 million km2 (3).
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