Secretary-General Calls For Greater Care For Marine Environment
10 June 2004
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| "Today more than ever, we depend on seas and oceans for our livelihood and our survival" |
Mr McKinnon said that death and disease caused by polluted coastal waters costs the global economy US$12.8 billion a year. Compounding this problem, 21 million barrels of oil find their way into the oceans every year.
"Climate change, the rise in sea levels and the destruction of coral reefs are a particular threat to Small Island Developing States -- which constitute over half the membership of the Commonwealth," the Secretary-General pointed out. "Destructive fishing practices are killing hundreds of thousands of marine species each year and populations of commercially attractive large fish have declined by as much as 90 per cent in the last century.
"Yet, today more than ever, we depend on seas and oceans for our livelihood and our survival. Whether it is through trade, transport, food or health, oceans are at the heart of the life network that links us to our environment. Indeed, more than 3.5 billion people depend on the ocean for their primary source of food. Forty per cent of the world's population lives within 60 kilometres of a coast. More than 90 per cent of goods traded between countries are transported by sea.
"But if our lives and well-being depend on oceans, oceans are also dependent on us for their survival. The protection of oceans and the marine environment is a duty we all share: governments, individuals, civil society, and businesses must all be involved in safeguarding the Earth's seas and oceans."
Mr McKinnon stressed that efforts have been made over the past few years to protect the marine environment, but more needs to be done. He said the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation adopted nearly two years ago at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) calls for a global marine assessment by 2004 and the development of a global network of marine protected areas by 2012.
"At their meeting last year, Commonwealth Environment Ministers highlighted areas where the Commonwealth was well-placed to support the efforts of its developing member states in implementing outcomes of the WSSD, including facilitating partnerships announced at WSSD by mobilising the Commonwealth as a network of networks representing governments, local governments, business, professional and civil society organisations. Preparations must also be made for time-bound action plans to put into practice the Plan of Implementation through technical assistance and the exchange of best practice, while addressing concerns related to climate change and biodiversity, concentrated on areas of comparative advantage, where the Commonwealth can add value through strategic gap-filling."
The Secretary-General urged Commonwealth nations to play a more active role in protecting and conserving our marine environment for global advantage.
"Today, on Environment Day, we should remember that we all have a role to play in protecting the environment and preserving our seas and oceans. We all have a stake in the future of our planet and therefore, we all have a responsibility to protect ocean life for our own benefit and for the benefit of future generations."
Link: Full Message
CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 187 9 June 2004
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