Defying Ocean's End

Defying Ocean's End is a practical agenda of action to safeguard the ocean for generations to come. This dynamic strategy is a collective voice for those seeking to reverse the disturbing trends we are witnessing in the ocean today. As never again, we have an opportunity now to respond to this crisis, by moving beyond localized and ad hoc initiatives - however good they might be - to coordinated global action.

THE CONCERN

The ocean contains 97% of Earth's water, drives climate and weather, shapes planetary chemistry, regulates temperature, generates more than 70% of the oxygen in the atmosphere, absorbs much of the carbon dioxide, and replenishes fresh water to land and sea through formation of clouds bearing rain, sleet and snow. The ocean is home to most of the life on Earth, including nearly all major groups of animals, plants and microbes, comprising 97% of the biosphere. A three-dimensional realm with an average depth of 2½ miles - every drop filled with life - the ocean is a living system absolutely critical to how our world works. We are putting millions of tons of trash and toxic materials into the ocean and extracting millions of tons of wildlife from it each year. Urgent action is needed to address serious ocean concerns, but there is a profound lack of awareness of both the recent sharp decline in ocean health, and the importance of the ocean to human survival. Without the living ocean, Earth would be as barren and inhospitable as Mars, but few understand that trouble for the ocean means trouble for humankind.

THE APPROACH

Defying Ocean's End is the culmination of a year-long effort that engaged a team of nearly 150 experts from more than 20 countries to develop an approach to articulating a global plan of action. Ocean scientists, economists, conservationists, and a select number of senior representatives from world governments, corporations and the media gathered in Los Cabos, Mexico May 29th to June 3rd, 2003 to build this plan. The DOE effort was structured into 5 regional case studies, 7 thematic working groups, and a business team.

The DOE Conference focused on developing Action Plans which address specific issues and outcomes - with priorities, and costs identified -- for 1-year, 3-year, and 10-year timeframes. Five case studies were presented to all Conference participants, which addressed lessons learned and recommendations in very different regions: The Caribbean, Seamounts, Antarctic Waters, The Coral Triangle, Gulf of California.

Break-out discussions were divided into seven Thematic Working Groups on widely ranging science, conservation, social, economic and legal topics:

• Ocean-Use Planning and Marine Protected Areas
• Economic Incentives and Disincentives
• Land-Ocean Interface
• Maintaining/Restoring Functional Marine Ecosystems
• Communication
• Ocean Governance
• The Unknown Ocean

These Thematic Working Groups also interacted with the Business Team to identify key cost drivers and estimate reasonable total solution costs.

HIGH LEVEL RESULTS

• Global Governance: Treat the 60% of the world ocean outside of national Exclusive Economic Zones as a World Ocean Public Trust. Establish legal and implementation approaches concerning ocean uses in the high seas - including fisheries - under coordinated, international multi-use zoning regimes.

• Fisheries Reform: Use market-based mechanisms and changes to subsidies to reform fisheries through development of sustainable fishing projects, and the establishment of a global fund to provide incentives for the adoption of sustainable practices.

• Communications: Implement global and regional communications plans; focus on educating the general public worldwide to ocean problems. Initiate global all-media campaigns on major issues. In developing nations, tailor the message to local cultural concerns, understanding and information networks (e.g., tribal elders), and build local capacity for disseminating the message.

•Marine Protected Areas/Large Marine Ecosystems: Create, consolidate, and strengthen marine protected areas (MPAs) into a globally representative network. Develop/implement coordinated, global large marine ecosystem (LME) programs in identified priority regions. Provide more robust multi-use zoning and enforcement mechanisms to protect these LMEs. Establish LME/MPA protections over 5% of the world ocean within the next 10 years (0.7% currently).

•Global Science: Develop an expanded applied research program focused on top priority marine environments high in endemism and biodiversity - seamounts, shallow- and deep-water reefs, continental slopes, caves and blue holes.