Global Ocean Commission meeting New York, July 2013
The Global Ocean Commission was an international initiative between 2013 and 2016 to raise awareness, and promote action to address, the degradation of the ocean and help restore it to full health and productivity. Its focus was on the high seas, the vast ocean areas that lie beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones of individual states. The Commission originated as an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trust, in partnership with Somerville College at the University of Oxford It launched in February 2013 and delivered its final report in February 2016. The Commission included senior political figures, business leaders and development specialists, and consulted and collaborated widely with a diverse group of constituencies, including ocean users, governments, scientists, economists, business leaders and trade unions.
The Commission published its principal report and recommendations, "From Decline to Recovery: a Rescue Package for the Ocean", in June 2014, and released a follow-up report, "The Future of Our Ocean: Next Steps and Priorities", in February 2016.
Background
The Global Ocean Commission was launched in 2013 in response to concerns that, when it comes to the global ocean: "Governance is woefully inadequate, and on the high seas, anarchy rules the waves." In their founding message, the co-Chairs stated that the Commission is "inspired by the opportunity that exists for the high seas to play a regenerative role in restoring whole ocean health, and by the potential of a small number of bold proposals to stimulate a cycle of recovery." The high seas constitute 45% of the Earth’s surface and are essential to the health of the planet.
Five key "drivers of ocean decline" were identified by the Commission: rising demand for resources; technological advances; decline of fish stocks;[citation needed]climate change (including ocean acidification), biodiversity and habitat loss; weak high seas governance.
The mandate of the Global Ocean Commission was to address these issues by formulating "politically and technically feasible short-, medium- and long-term recommendations."
Victor Chu - Chairman of the First Eastern Investment Group, Director and Council member of the Hong Kong stock exchange, Chair of the Hong Kong - Europe Business Council
Carol Browner - Head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1993-2001)
The Commissioners were supported by an International Secretariat consisting of:
Simon Reddy, Executive Secretary
Rémi Parmentier, Deputy Executive Secretary
Clare Brennan, Director of Operations
Kristian Teleki, Director of Global Engagement
Justin Woolford, Director of Communications
Inés de Agueda, Communications and Policy Officer
Recommendations
The Global Ocean Commission’s 2014 report outlined a set of practical proposals to address the five drivers of decline, reverse high seas degradation, and improve the system of governance, monitoring and compliance.
Offshore Oil and Gas - Establishing binding safety standards and liability
Global Ocean Accountability Board - Monitoring progress towards a healthy ocean
Creating a High Seas Regeneration Zone.
Threats facing the high seas
According to research examined by the Global Ocean Commission:
Approximately half of the world’s fish stocks are fished to their maximum sustainable level, while a further third are fished beyond that level, some to commercial extinction.
Overfishing costs the global economy an estimated $50bn per year and threatens food security.
Climate change is forcing the migration of some marine life away from their natural grounds, and appears to be reducing the amount of living space for some important fish species.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing fleets are implicated in acts of terrorism and trafficking of people (including children), drugs and weapons, with working conditions which can amount to forced labour. The Commission called for all fishing vessels operating on the high seas to be fitted with mandatory vessel IDs in order to allow for monitoring.
↑Lamy, Oby Ezekwesili, José María Figueres and Pascal (October 2015). "A Fish Called Development". Project Syndicate. Retrieved 11 March 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
