Wonders of the sea, like this coral reef, are under dire threat (Image: Frederic Pacorel / Workbookstock / Getty)
To have any chance of saving the oceans’ richness as climate change kicks in, we have to put a stop to the free-for-all out on the open oceans.
LESS than 1 per cent of the ocean is protected to any meaningful degree. That needs to change, and fast.
The oceans provide us with many vital services: a significant proportion of the food we eat; underpinning for the tourism industry that is many countries’ lifeblood; soaking up half of the carbon dioxide we pump out, and much more. But pollution and overfishing are taking their toll. In places, entire habitats are being destroyed, from fishermen dynamiting reefs to trawlers trashing slow growing deepwater corals. Fishing fleets roam increasingly far afield and work in ever deeper waters. Mining the deep-sea floor for minerals and other destructive forms of exploitation are on the horizon. And looming above it all is the threat posed by climate change and ocean acidification.
But there is plenty we can do, and one of the most important is to establish more marine reserves. With a few exceptions – mainly situations where central governments imposed closed areas from on high without local support – research has shown that marine reserves do make a big difference. There is a dramatic rise in the amount and diversity of life within no-take zones, which then spills over into neighbouring areas, benefitting fishermen too. Healthy ecosystems have a much better chance of surviving climate change.
There is a growing awareness of the need for…
