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Over 70% of the surface of Earth is ocean, comprised of highly diverse ecosystems, and providing a wide range of marine ecosystem services that support human society, health and the economy. These ecosystems being eroded and destroyed by over-fishing, ocean dumping, chemical pollution, dredging, mining, oil drilling and oil spills, climate change and other human activity.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a vital way to protect the oceans. MPAs are clearly defined geographical regions of the oceans which have strict governance regimes to protect marine life and the ecosystems within these regions.
The most comprehensive and effective MPAs are marine reserves which prohibit any fishing, resource extraction, construction or direct polluting of the protected areas. Less stringent MPAs provide restrictions on such activities, in order to ensure that economic use of the protected areas does not impact on conservation of nature, ecosystem health and cultural/indigenous use.
Currently, MPAs account for only 7.92 percent of the world’s ocean. Just under 3 percent of the oceans are highly or fully protected (marine reserves). Scientific modelling indicates that protection of at least 30% of the ocean is required to ensure ocean ecosystem resilience and sustainability.
The 30% by 2030 campaign aims to protect 30 percent of the Ocean by 2030. This would not only achieve healthier ecosystems and species, it would also increase climate change mitigation. Marine life and coastal habitats store carbon dioxide, reduce ocean risk from extreme weather events, secure livelihoods and food resources for all, raise abundance and diversity of species, create safe havens for threatened species and ensure sustainable economic benefits from the ocean.
The campaign is currently run as a loose network including the Blue Nature Alliance, PGA 30% by 2030 project, World Future Council, and others.