The creatures living under the sea depend on our actions above the water. That’s why we need to rethink our strategies for ocean preservation.
In recent years, we’ve improved our ability to observe and record the oceans’ deteriorating condition. This includes dwindling marine life populations, rising levels of harmful substances in our bays and estuaries, and the continued destruction of essential habitats like coral reefs.
Unfortunately, we’re not as skilled at halting these losses, turning things around, and enhancing the oceans’ health.
All Earth’s life relies on healthy oceans. Improving ocean health is really a lifestyle challenge, requiring us to rethink our living habits above sea level.
Preserving the oceans means urgently moving from our carbon-heavy, wasteful lifestyle to a more sustainable and equitable economy. The UN’s Sustainable Development goals, set to be discussed by world leaders at the first UN Oceans Conference in New York, give us a reason for optimism.
Even though the focus is on the ocean, the central theme is the need to create a sustainable economy for everyone. This implies shifting from an economy that continually harms our planet to one that restores and revitalizes it.
We can reinvent various sectors, including our approaches to energy and food production, product packaging and disposal, and our lifestyle and recreational activities.
Consider seafood, for instance. Marine life provides crucial nutrition for our growing global population. However, some of our fishing and fish farming methods cause significant damage to wild fish populations and their habitats. Here are a few examples:
Bycatch, or unintentionally caught wildlife, is a serious issue in seafood collection. With tropical shrimp, the bycatch can sometimes outweigh the shrimp catch eightfold. Turtles, sharks, and seabirds are all victims of this bycatch. Some fishing methods, like bottom trawling, can devastate delicate ocean ecosystems. Lost or discarded fishing gear, often called ghost gear, continues to trap marine life long after it’s been abandoned. Around 30% of all wild-caught fish is processed into fish meal and oil to feed farmed fish, which results in considerable protein and energy loss. Unsustainable fish farming practices can cause significant ocean damage through land clearing, habitat destruction, and waste discharge. This is a classic example of how our unsustainable global economy is steadily damaging the oceans.
Innovators worldwide are striving to create a sustainable seafood economy. They’re inventing fishing gear to minimize bycatch and ecosystem damage, seeking sustainable ways to produce fish feed, and rethinking fish farming with sustainability at its core.
Innovative solutions in this and other sectors can guide world leaders in achieving their sustainable development goals.
While the dangers are increasingly severe, there’s also a fantastic chance for swift progress and innovative idea development. This potential comes from the combination of emerging technologies, wider technology access, a growing community of creators and entrepreneurs, and markets that can quickly scale up improved alternatives.
Promoting innovation and rethinking various economic sectors is the way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It’s the way to save our oceans.