The fourteenth global goal is to protect marine life and increase ocean sustainability. While reaching this goal includes overcoming numerous challenges, the global community can still achieve its goal set out until 2030. This involves drastically decreasing water pollution and setting active measures to achieve a more sustainable world.
Video Transcript
For what seems like a very long time, climate activists have been pushing the negative effects of unsustainable practices on the oceans, the dangers to ocean life, the threats of sea level rising. Thus, for the United Nations’ fourteenth sustainable development goal, the focus is put on conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
The oceans and marine life are complicated and require much attention, and so the aims of SDG 14 are multiple. Currently, many human actions contribute to the pollution of the Earth’s waters, causing eutrophication, which is when water contains too many nutrients and leads to overgrowth and makes it hard for aquatic animals to survive. Plastic debris and ocean acidification from pollution also pose serious problems. Increasing the proportion of National Exclusive Economic Zones managed with an ecosystem approach would be a step in the right direction to minimising these types of pollution, as will increasing the proportion of coastal areas that are classified as conservation sites, aiming for 10% of all coastal and marine areas by 2030.
Other regulations need to be put in place to end over-fishing and the fishing of endangered species. Currently, a lot of the fishing industry is unregulated and unreported, and if we want to increase the vitality of aquatic species, more attention must be paid. Specifically as part of the regulations, subsidies going to unsustainable fisheries need to be culled, with differential treatment being shown to developing countries so they can grow their own industries in a sustainable way.
Speaking of differential treatment for developing countries, small island states in particular should receive more instruction in sustainable marine practices.
Increasing scientific knowledge and marine technology, in accordance with international sustainability measures, can be used to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of small island states and other developing nations. Also providing more resources for artisanal fishers and local markets will go a long ways toward encouraging sustainable practices.
Many of the sustainability regulations have already been outlined, and what’s left is the implementation.
Globally, progress on SDG 14 is discouraging, as marine activities continue to be carried out at unsustainable levels. IN fact the sustainability of fisheries has been declining in recent years, and the oceans continue to grow more and more acidic as they absorb global CO2 emissions.
The time for talking and planning is over, and immediate action regarding SDG14 is necessary if we want later generations to also enjoy the benefits that oceans and marine life offer us today.