MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

Miljø- og Fødevareudvalget 2016-17
MOF Alm.del Bilag 422
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2017 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations

A World of Blue: Preserving the oceans, safeguarding the planet, ensuring human well-

being in the context of the 2030 Agenda

Jointly organized by the IPU and the Office of the President of the General Assembly

United Nations Headquarters, 13-14 February 2017

Summary Report

Opening

The 2017 Parliamentary Hearing served as an opportunity for parliamentarians to discuss

issues related to ocean health in preparation for the high-level

United Nations Conference to

Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14

which will be convened at

United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 9 June 2017. Co-hosted by the

governments of Fiji and Sweden, the conference aims to produce concrete commitments and

solutions to reverse the decline in the health of our ocean.

The two-day session was opened by H.E. Peter Thomson, President of the United Nations

General Assembly, Hon. Saber Chowdhury, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

and Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department for Economic

and Social Affairs, who spoke on behalf of Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the

United Nations.

Mr. Thomson recognized the critical role of parliamentarians as standard-bearers, policy

shapers and legislators. He advised parliamentarians to use the hearing as a step toward

preparing their governments for the UN Ocean Conference in June 2017 and asked them

specifically to come to the Ocean Conference with regional, national and local-level voluntary

commitments to reinforce the global efforts. He recommended that parliamentarians use SDG

14 and its targets and indicators as a roadmap for improving the

Ocean’s

health.

Mr. Chowdhury commended the mutually-reinforcing partnership between the IPU and the

United Nations. He noted that Mr. António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, is a former

parliamentarian. As a citizen of Bangladesh, a low-lying country, Mr. Chowdhury is keenly

A note on terminology:

The scientific community has adopted the notion of one global ocean

as opposed to four distinct oceans. The concept of a global ocean system recognizes that the

Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic are not oceans, but ocean basins. This summary report refers

to ocean in the singular by which is meant the global ocean system.

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

aware of the risks presented by rising sea levels. By 2050, as many as 30 million people in his

country may be displaced from coastal areas. As in other countries, most of the individuals

vulnerable to displacement are among the poorest of the poor.

Mr. Chowdhury surveyed the range of issues related to and having an impact on ocean health:

the resilience of local economies, cultural heritage, climate change, marine pollution, the food

chain, and extraction of natural resources from the seabed. He recommended parliamentarians

use

Parliaments and the Sustainable Development Goals: A Self-Assessment Toolkit, a

publication produced by IPU and UNDP that is available online.

It is designed to help

parliaments mainstream the SDGs throughout their work and will help parliamentarians fulfill

their legislative and oversight functions.

Mr. Chowdhury framed the hearing as an important step in the journey towards achieving the

SDGs. He set the goals of the conference as raising awareness of ocean health and

encouraging parliamentarians to take action to reverse the

ocean’s

decline.

Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo read Secretary-General Guterres’ message which

emphasized the centrality of the ocean, seas and coastal areas to the

earth’s

ecosystem and to

the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, noting that the ocean has never been more

vulnerable. While the challenges to restoring ocean health are daunting, the international

community has the tools to convert challenges to opportunities.

Secretary General Guterres’ message urged parliamentarians to focus on implementation. He

described the upcoming UN Ocean Conference as a unique opportunity to find concrete

solutions to environmental threats.

The Ocean and its Carrying Capacity

The single, interconnected world ocean forms about 90% of the

earth’s

biome, the space with

living creatures, and is crucial for human well-being and sustainable development. Human

beings depend heavily on the ocean for oxygen, nutrition and, increasingly, for drinking water.

The

world’s

population gets 17% of its animal protein from the sea. For people living in 30

countries, mainly in Africa and Asia, the ocean provides 33% of their animal protein. Twenty-two

of these countries are low-income and food deficient. One hundred and fifty countries use

desalination plants to meet their population's needs for water. Worldwide, desalination plants

produce over 22.9 billion US gallons of water a day. Every second breath we take comes from

oxygen produced by the ocean.

The ocean also plays a massive role for local livelihoods and in the global economy. Indeed,

http://www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/sdg-toolkit-e.pdf

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

75% of world trade by volume and 59% of world trade by value travels by sea. Communications

are ocean-dependent as 95% of intercontinental internet traffic passes through submarine

cables. In 2015, tourism was the basis for 9.5% of the world economy, half of which involved

international travel to coastal areas. Finally, the seabed is an important source of crude oil and

tin, magnesium, sulphur, gold, and gravel. Seabed mining is likely to increase as land-based

deposits are exhausted.

Despite its capacity for self-regeneration, the ocean is imperiled by the cumulative effects of

climate change, unsustainable extraction of marine living resources, including overfishing,

excessive by-catch, unsustainable coastal development and marine pollution, including in the

form ofhazardous substances, excess nutrients and underwater noise pollution.

Greenhouse gas emissions cause ocean warming, acidification and oxygen loss. These

widespread effects contribute to melting ice sheets, rising sea levels, and an increase in

intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. Warming ocean waters alter the

composition of marine ecosystems. As species follow their preferred temperatures into new

areas, new interactions produce species loss and a decline in biodiversity. This is especially

true of low latitudes where marine ecosystems are vital for the marine food chain.

Carbon emissions decrease

seawater’s

PH, a process known as ocean acidification. A more

acidic environment threatens the viability of calcifying species, including shellfish, corals and

calcareous plankton and in turn disrupts the food chain. Many of the changes that have taken

place are irreversible: for example, there is already a high risk of losing about 90% of the coral

reefs to bleaching over the next decades .even if the global surface temperature does not

increase more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels,

Excessive marine pollution from human activities at sea and land, such as agriculture, sewage

and ship traffic, among others, cause dead zones, low-oxygen areas in which most marine life

suffocate. In dead zones, entire ecosystems are destroyed. While hypoxia is a naturally

occurring phenomenon, scientists believe that human impacts have dramatically increased the

number of ocean dead zones, which as of 2017 number more than 500.

Industrial fisheries have grown rapidly since 1945 and overall are poorly managed. Overfishing

has decimated fish stocks. With better oversight, fisheries could improve productivity by 20%.

Large fisheries have negative impacts on small, local,

“artisanal”

fishers and jeopardize their

livelihood, as well as the cultural heritage and economic structures they represent.

The limits of the

ocean’s

carrying capacity are being, or in some cases, have been reached. The

assumption that the ocean can absorb indefinitely the by-products of human activity in any

amount was always wrong. The interaction between the various pressures on the ocean

produces a cumulative effect that is more devastating than the sum of its parts. Integrated

ocean management is essential to addressing the threats to marine ecosystems. Immediate

action is necessary to reverse the

ocean’s

decline.

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

II.

Toward A Sustainable Blue Economy

The

ocean’s

role in human life is multi-various. The ocean and its coasts provide oxygen,

climate regulation, food and protein, medicine, human habitat, employment, cultural heritage,

inspiration, recreation and a place to restore wellness. Yet too often, the ocean has served as a

site of exploitation and a dumping ground. The result is a decline in ocean health so extreme

that, in many respects, damage reversal may no longer be possible, leaving damage mitigation

and resilience building as the only course of action.

As many participants noted, the first step in building a sustainable blue economy is to identify

and address the economic drivers of pollution and over consumption, especially in the

developed world. Parliamentarians should support government policies that incentivize

sustainable behavior in the private and public sectors at national, district and community levels.

While the decline of the

ocean’s

health is unprecedented, tools and techniques already exist

that can help reverse the decline. Genetic modification may mitigate damage done to

ecosystems. Post-plastic, organic materials that biodegrade may replace plastic. Autonomous

vessels, the marine equivalent of the self-driven car, may facilitate wastewater treatment and

the removal of plastics and pollution.

Innovative marine technologies can help meet the needs of a global population expected to

reach 9 billion by 2030. As the global population expands, the need for healthy protein with a

lower carbon footprint can be met by sustainable aquaculture, with the added benefit of

providing employment to some of the poorest communities in coastal areas around the world.

Risks were acknowledged in the adoption of new technologies. While many of these

technologies will require decades to fully develop, they must be carefully evaluated for their

potential impacts on human activities, economies and marine ecosystems. There is also the

danger that the high seas fishing may be monopolized by big business. Parliamentarians from

developing countries expressed interest in funding mechanisms to ensure innovation is not

dominated by high-income countries. The discussion made clear that a new set of investment

framework and financial instruments are needed to nurture the development of an inclusive,

sustainable ocean economy.

Myriad Forms of Pollution

Parliamentarians elaborated on the numerous forms of pollution, including:



air pollution caused by emissions



water pollution cause by fertilizer run-off (80% of all pollution in the ocean), wastewater

(sewage), oil spills and marine debris, light and noise pollution, and thermal pollution due

to climate change. The

“polluter pay”

principle is one important way to discourage

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

pollution while creating a revenue stream to fund work on SDG 14.

While all of these forms of pollution were mentioned during the hearing, the following topics

received particular attention.

Plastic Pollution

Every square mile of the

ocean’s

surface is polluted with plastic. Every depth of the ocean from

the surface to the ocean floor is polluted by millions of pounds of plastic.

It’s

estimated that 15 to

50 trillion pieces of plastic are in the ocean. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear

and larger plastics kill marine life through entanglement, strangulation, suffocation, starvation

due to reduced digestive capacity and poisoning. If pollution rates continue on their current

trajectory, there could be, by weight, more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.

A parliamentarian from Thailand remarked that a switch to a

“sufficiency economy”

in which

moderation, rather than consumption, was the guiding value, may address the core cause of

plastic pollution. The Buddhist approach of the Middle Path emphasizes considering the greater

good when making our daily choices. A parliamentarian from Iceland suggested that a less

resource-intensive pattern of consumption and production was necessary to reverse the

ocean’s

decline.

There was general agreement that more plastics would be recycled if governments built better

collection infrastructure and raised public awareness on the issue. While recycling and

collection infrastructure is costly, economies of scale can be reached if large segments of the

population recycle. Banning single-use plastic bags was discussed with particular reference to

the example set by countries such as Rwanda, France, Morocco and Monaco.

Impact of Microplasm on Food Safety

As plastic disintegrates in ocean waters, it becomes microplasm, plastic particles so small they

can only be seen by a microscope. Plankton, the bottom of the marine food chain, swallows the

microplasm. As fish eat plankton, the microplasm eventually ends up on our plates. The

potential health effects are devastating. More than one billion people rely on seafood as their

primary source of protein. Microplasm is so pervasive in the ocean, it can even be found in table

salt. The FAO has convened a group of experts to evaluate the effects of microplasm on food

safety.

Microbeads

Microbeads are tiny plastic particles used in toothpaste, cosmetics and beauty products

whichwaste water treatment facilities cannot break down. They arrive intact in the ocean where

they absorb other pollutants such as motor oil, flame retardants, and pesticides. Marine life then

consumes these tiny and highly toxic particles. Many countries, including the United States and

Canada, have banned the use of microbeads. Many parliamentarians advocated an

international ban.

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

Ghost Gear

Several participants discussed the damage done by ghost gear, marine equipment discarded by

fishers. It is a major cause of depleted fishing stocks and accounts for 10% of all marine litter.

Waste Water

Several parliamentarians expressed the desire to improve wastewater management in

developing countries as well as to improve waste disposal facilities on vessels. The 2012 Manila

Declaration on Furthering the Implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the

Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities cited wastewater management

as one of the three main priority areas for the Global Programme of Action. A parliamentarian

from Italy observed that pollution from ships was spoiling coastal waters in and near port towns.

He proposed that severe fines be imposed for illegal waste and litter to ensure compliance with

the law. Up to 80% of urban sewage discharged into the Mediterranean is untreated. It was

suggested that an international database be established to record data on infractions made by

vessels and industrial fisheries around the world to facilitate the enforcement of corporate

responsibility and international law.

Recommendations:

●

Encourage manufacturers to design multi-use products with a sustainable end of

life”

scenario. This will ensure that biodegradable products are the norm in future.

Educate consumers to make responsible choices with regard to plastics.

Consider banning single-use plastics, particularly bags, as well as Styrofoam

Improve collection infrastructure to make recycling easier.

Incentivize manufacturers to explore the use of

“post-plastics”

that are biodegradable.

Incentivize fishers to bring their gear back to land.

In coastal communities, encourage start-ups to creatively up cycle or reuse marine gear

by turning it into new products.

Invest in mobile waste collection on boats to remove marine litter.

Consider subsidies to make environmentally-friendly products more affordable.

Impose an international ban on microbeads.

Consistent with the

“polluter

pays” principle, impose severe fines on companies that do

not observe sustainable practices and local/international laws regarding wastewater

management and litter. Use the resulting revenue to invest in sustainable marine

ecosystem management and resilience-building.

Pursue innovative financing to improve management of wastewater treatment plants.

Incentivize local solutions and start-ups to provide services to improve wastewater

treatment.

Declare coral reefs protected marine areas to slow coral bleaching and mitigate the

effects of thermal pollution.

●

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

Fishing

Small-scale fisheries provide the largest employment of all ocean-based industries. Fifty-two

million full and part-time fishers and fish workers are employed in small-scale fisheries with

ninety-six percent of the workers living in developing countries.

The scourge of overfishing by industrial fisheries has put the employment of small-scale fishers

and the production of fish protein at high risk. Unsustainable fishing practices have depleted fish

stocks, dramatically threatening the viability of local artisanal fishers and decreasing

biodiversity. Several parliamentarians lamented the overfishing by industrial fleets, weak

regulation and lack of enforcement of existing laws. An Irish parliamentarian described the

outrage felt by Irish artisanal fishers who abide by strict European Union regulations only to

observe industrial fishing fleets trawling for unsustainable yields.

This problem is exacerbated in low income countries whose waters are overfished by industrial

fleets based in larger and richer nations. A minister from Fiji asked what could be done to

protect small island nations like her own which observed regulations regarding overfishing, but

suffered the consequences of large corporate fishers who did not.

Industrial fishing practices are alarmingly inefficient. A parliamentarian from Norway remarked

that commercial fisheries discard about 80% of the fish they catch. The discarding of

“by-catch,”

due to the incidental capture of non-target fish, has caused significant decline in biodiversity.

By-catch often includes endangered species. A participant noted that vast subsidies to industrial

fisheries effectively encourage overfishing. Eliminating these harmful subsidies would enable

these monies to be redirected toward conservation. Several parliamentarians discussed the

importance of enabling depleted stocks to recover. In this context, marine protected areas were

identified as a promising method for stock recovery.

The role of consumers and the private sector in promoting sustainable fishing was discussed.

Tuna, a high-demand fish in decreasing supply, was cited as an example of how innovative

practices might encourage sustainability. The use of data trackers can ensure end-to-end

traceability of tuna, creating transparency between fisheries and consumers. Tuna labeled

“fair

trade”

would cost more to consumers but provide a guarantee it is sustainably sourced. One

parliamentarian cautioned that most consumers would not be able to afford the surcharge

associated with

“fair trade”

products.

It was recommended that artisanal fishers, many of whom belong to communities that have

fished for centuries and even millennia, should be included in decision-making. Their local

expertise and fishing knowledge had much to offer to the problem of depleted stocks and

waning biodiversity. In the same vein, parliamentarians expressed a commitment to preserve

the cultural heritage of coastal communities. Sustainable fishing is vital to these communities

and cultures.

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

The potential of aquaculture to produce the vast amounts of fish protein needed by a growing

global population was explored, together with a concern for its impact on coastal habitats and

mangroves. While aquaculture will be a major production method for meeting the

planet’s

nutritional needs, it needs to be managed carefully to reduce the impact on biodiversity,

artisanal fishers and coastal communities.

Recommendations:

●

Ensure sustainable fishing. The Convention on the Law of the Sea protects small-scale

fisheries and outlaws unsustainable fishing. Better regulation, monitoring and

enforcement of existing agreements, such as the

Agreement on Port State Measures to

Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

, are needed.

Parliamentarians should ensure compliance.

Encourage governments to pass the legally binding legal instrument under the United

Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of

marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Link trade and sustainability so that trade deals must contribute to SDG 14 in order to be

approved by parliament.

Impose severe fines on vessels that do not observe local and/or international laws with

regard to overfishing and pollution.

Scale up innovative methods such as a fair trade labelling for developing markets for

sustainably farmed fish.

Use data trackers to ensure end-to-end traceability, monitoring, regulation and consumer

confidence.

Integrate the voices, wisdom and expertise of local fishers and their coastal communities

in decision-making. Ancient fishing communities are a part of our collective cultural

heritage and their contribution to the solutions to the

ocean’s

decline is essential.

Engage as many stakeholders as possible in the process, including ocean users,

industry, civil society organizations, citizen scientists, children and students.

Enforce fishing quotas and maximum sustainable yields, as well as moratoriums on

fishing to allow fisheries enough time to regenerate themselves.

Manage aquaculture growth so that it does not displace artisanal fishers, depress

biodiversity or threaten the coastal environment through clearing of mangroves and

coastal habitats.

Create marine protected areas to enable depleted fishing stocks to recover

Discourage harmful subsidies and redirect monies toward ocean conservation.

●

Extractive Industries, Marine Genetic Resources, and Cables

Seabed Mining

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

The mineral resources within the seabed of more than 50% of the ocean known as the

“High

Seas,” are capable of providing humanity with a source of minerals for many hundreds, if not

thousands, of years. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), these mineral

resources are legally recognized as the common heritage of humankind. By international law,

their economic benefits must be shared equally between all nations.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) was established under UNCLOS to regulate deep

seabed mining. ISA controls access to mineral resources by awarding mining contracts.

Applications for seabed mining contracts may be sponsored by any of the 168 nations that are

party to UNCLOS. As such, nations at any stage of development, including land-locked

countries, have equal rights to apply for contracts to mine the seabed for mineral resources. The

ISA awards contracts based on the consensus of its members.

For most of ISA's 30-year history, the technological and financial challenges involved in

extracting minerals from the seabed have acted as barriers to significant rates of ocean mining.

As those barriers are more easily surmounted, there is likely to be a dramatic increase in

seabed mining. Currently, the most active mining area is the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the high

seas off the coast of Mexico and California. There are sixteen active operations in this area,

covering 3% of the Pacific Ocean. It would take several thousand years to exhaust the supply of

minerals accessible through even one mine in one of the sixteen areas under exploration.

Parliamentarians expressed concern about the environmental threats of seabed mining. As the

rate of seabed mining increases, parliamentarians have a responsibility to monitor the impact

and make certain that their government contracts with ISA adhere to the mining regulations

under UNCLOS.

Marine Genetic Resources

Marine scientific research in international waters is open to all nations. However, marine genetic

resources have an unclear legal character. They are not defined in UNCLOS. There are States

that argue that marine genetic resources should be included as part of the common heritage of

humankind, and others who argue the opposite position, making them fall under the Freedom of

the High Seas. Current negotiations for a legally binding legal instrument under the United

Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine

biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction are currently ongoing. A common view

on several difficult topics must be achieved by Member States. In this context, parliamentarians

can support an advancement of the negotiations and later ensure the implementation of the

legally binding instrument.

Submarine Telecommunication Cables

While many assume that satellites transmit most communications, 95% of international

communication is transmitted through submarine cables. Submarine cables are therefore a

matter of national and international security. Submarine cables need maintenance and

protection from the impacts of natural disasters, movement of tectonic plates, technical failure,

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

accidental interference through deep sea fishing and, intentional damage.

While 99% of the cables are owned and operated by the private sector rather than

governments, UNCLOS imposes obligations on most nations to safeguard and protect

submarine cables both within their Exclusive Economic Zone and outside of their territorial seas.

However, few countries have modern legislation to protect cables. Parliamentarians should

advocate for the maintenance of submarine cables to safeguard international communications

and bandwidth. They can also press their governments to ensure that industrial fishing is kept

away from cables.

A member of the International Cable Committee described the environmental impact of

submarine cables as benign due to the use of chemically inert materials. The cables are laid

along the seabed where according to the industry, they have minimal impact on marine life.

Because the areas where the cables are placed are protected from man-made risk, the cable

corridors become, in effect, marine protected areas, encouraging biodiversity.

Strong broadband connections are the basis of the digital economy, so it is a matter of social

justice that all countries have a robust broadband connection. Coastal countries are at an

advantage in this regard and can consider sharing their bandwidth with their inland neighbors.

Nuclearization of the Ocean

Radioactive material in the ocean poses a unique threat to marine and human health which

scientists have yet to quantify. A parliamentarian expressed concern that radioactivity has been

measured in the ocean and that nuclear tests occurred in French Polynesia. Another noted that

radioactive plume from the damaged nuclear plant in Fukushima (Japan) has been detected in

the Pacific Ocean.

Though nuclear testing in the ocean is now forbidden, nuclear submarines are still in the ocean.

A parliamentarian asked whether the denuclearization of the ocean would be an appropriate

topic for the UN High Level Conference on nuclear disarmament. The Secretary General of the

International Seabed Authority observed that UNCLOS has established the seabed area

exclusively for peaceful purposes. It prohibits militarization of the deep sea.

Recommendations:

●

Ensure that radioactivity tests of ocean waters take place as part of the on-going

evaluation of ocean health.

Require that an environmental impact assessment is performed prior to every seabed

mining licensing agreement.

Demand that marine genetic resources are effectively protected under any new

agreement.

Adopt national legislation to protect submarine cables and the surrounding marine

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

environments.

Tourism

In 2016, 500 million people traveled internationally to vacation in coastal areas. While the

economic contributions of tourism are significant---in fact, for certain small island nations,

tourism accounts for as much as 50% of GDP--- the environmental impacts of coastal and

ocean tourism have been devastating. Mangroves, coral reefs, nesting sites for marine turtles

and seagrass meadows have been cleared in many coastal areas to make way for hotels and

beaches. Tourism’s negative impact on ocean and coastal health is due largely to the over

concentration of tourists in specific destinations. This disturbs the ecosystem through

overdevelopment and pollution including wastewater management. Ocean cruises place

additional stress on the ecosystem in the form of sewage, wastewater and pollution.

A parliamentarian from Belgium pointed out that people who vacation on coasts do so because

they have a love for the sea. These ocean-loving tourists represent a potential international

lobby of ocean advocates. Directing an ocean health public awareness campaign toward ocean

tourists might mobilize a half-billion tourists into environmental action. A related idea was the

promulgation of

“voluntourism”

in which tourists spend a part of their vacation working on

coastal clean-up efforts, or learning about the local fishing community. The market opportunities

for consumers who wish to vacation near the ocean without causing harm were discussed. One

example is encouraging tourists to factor in the environmental impact of different cruise lines’

waste management systems when selecting their next cruise. With greater consumer

awareness come incentives for hospitality and tour operators to clean up their environmental

act.

A senator from Kenya proposed applying the model of ecotourism that originated with the Masai

and the conservation of the Savannah to coastal communities. In this model of ecotourism,

environmental sustainability, cultural heritage and the participation of the indigenous community

are core features. A human-centered approach to ecotourism involving the active participation

of coastal communities was recommended.

Recommendations

●

Encourage the private sector to pursue ecotourism in ocean and coastal environments.

Engage hotel chains, cruise lines and other actors in the tourism industry to apply

sustainable practices and create incentives throughout the industry to lessen its

environmental impacts.

Integrate cultural heritage and the participation of local communities in ecotourism.

Educate the general public, and tourists, in particular, on the environmental impacts of

their seaside holidays.

●

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Climate Change

Global warming worsens the harm done to the ocean. Ocean acidification, for example, has far

more serious effects in a warming environment. The precondition of reversing ocean decline is

therefore to urgently and drastically cut emissions drastically.

In 2015, the

world’s

first comprehensive climate agreement, the Paris Agreement, was forged at

the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCC). It will come into force in 2020. Signed by 194 countries and ratified by 134,

the Paris Agreement is a commitment to reducing global emissions, especially in developed

nations, and to limiting the increase in global average surface temperature to well below 2

degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement also commits signatories to

increase their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, foster climate resilience

and produce finance flows consistent with a pathway toward low greenhouse gas emissions and

climate-resilient development. Developed countries have committed to mobilizing $100 billion

per year in public and private finance by 2020 to support low and medium-income nations in

adhering to the Paris Agreement.

Critics of the Paris Agreement note that the agreement is non-binding and that limiting

temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels will not protect the

earth from the dangers of melting ice sheets and rising sea levels.

Rising sea levels are a particular threat to the 183 countries that are either coastal or small-

island States. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) projects 200 million people will

be displaced by 2050 due to overall environmental changes.

In addition to cutting emissions, governments can adopt blue carbon policies to enhance

resilience to climate change. These include establishing marine protected areas that span

latitudes or have corridors between them to allow for species migration, restoring forests

mangrove, kelp and seagrass meadows. While these interventions can slow down the

ocean’s

decline, they cannot reverse it. Only drastic cuts in emissions in concert with other conservation

efforts can arrest ocean decline.

Participants noted that climate change needs to be addressed at global, national and local

levels. A speaker from Fiji described the myriad of efforts her government has taken on a

national level to protect coasts and coastal inhabitants, as well as local government efforts to

involve their communities in learning how to mitigate the effects of climate change. Despite a

few blind spots and points of contention about the science of climate change and corresponding

solutions, there is an overwhelming body of knowledge already available for policy-makers to

take decisive action.

Alternatives to energy based on fossil fuels include innovative technologies that harness energy

from wind and deep ocean currents. These have the potential to replace less environmentally-

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

friendly energy sources; their impact on societies, economies and ecosystems must be carefully

assessed.

Recommendations

•

Ensure that national CO

reduction commitments are sufficiently ambitious to contribute to

the global target limiting global temperature rise to under 2 Celsius degrees above pre-

industrial levels.

Expand and manage coherent networks of marine protected areas to safeguard marine

biodiversity and promote resilience.

Protect coasts through conservation.

Promote and apply Blue Economy approaches emphasizing the economic benefits of low-

carbon solutions to developing countries and SIDS in particular.

Plan and implement policies at the global, national and local levels.

Develop and support measures to address the issues associated with coastal and island

population displacement, including improvement of international law in terms of definitions,

rights and procedures for climate-induced refugees and migrants, including the

development and implementation of financing measures.

Earmark funds in global public finance mechanisms to support adaptation and mitigation in

coastal areas and SIDS.

Track financial flows to support climate change efforts related to the ocean and coasts.

Encourage private sector investments in

“gray”

coastal infrastructure (culverts, break walls

and roads) for coastal habitat protection and restoration.

Educate young people to become ocean-literate citizens and scientists.

Educate the public to encourage environmentally-conscious consumption.

•

International Law, Regulation and Disputes

The efficacy of current international law to protect the ocean was discussed. Some participants

believed the current legal regime governing the ocean was weak and that a new, legally binding

under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and

sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction was

necessary. Other participants took the view that existing international law was sufficient and that

the problem was due to a combination of poor enforcement and limited resources. According to

them, technological advances, such as big data, enabled much more comprehensive monitoring

of the high seas and should translate into better enforcement and accountability.

Several parliamentarians from various regions noted that illegal fishing occurred regularly and

seemingly without consequences. Several others voiced concerns about international disputes

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

over access to coastland, their Exclusive Economic Zone and its resources, including specific

current conflicts. Others noted that the adjudication process under the International Tribunal of

the Law of the Sea was too slow. Other parliamentarians expressed concerns about disputes

with neighbors over coastal access and borders. As one parliamentarian said,

“if

you do not

know what is your land or sea, you cannot conserve

it.”

For many nations, piracy is a threat within Exclusive Economic Zones and in the High Seas.

Africa, which counts 38 coastal states, is particularly affected by piracy. Ninety percent of

imports and exports are transported by water and a significant number of the most strategic

commercial shipping lanes lie within African maritime jurisdiction. In addition to piracy, African

waters contend with illicit fishing and illicit trafficking of a wide range of goods, including arms,

drugs and people. Recognizing that no single nation alone can guarantee the security of its

waters, 31 African nations signed the Lome Charter in 2016 pledging a cooperative approach to

bringing law, order and sustainability to the waters off the continent. This charter awaits

ratification.

Recommendations:

●

Strengthen High Seas governance, including through better enforcement of international

law and a more effective international dispute resolution mechanism.

Establish extensive marine sanctuaries in the High Seas to enable depleted fishing

stocks to recover and marine life to flourish.

Take resolute action against illegal fishing as well as criminal activities such as piracy.

II. From Words to Actions: The Challenge of Implementation

The Role of International Cooperation in Saving the Ocean

The ocean and its ecosystems cover our planet, irrespective of political borders. As a senator

from Mexico said,

“fish

do not have

passports.”

By its very nature, protecting the ocean is a

transboundary endeavor and requires international cooperation. Parliamentarians underscored

the importance of accountability and transparency on all ocean-related action, which should be

based on the findings of the First World Ocean Assessment report and other properly vetted

information.

Ocean Data

Data sharing is one form of international cooperation. Effective ocean policies begin with

accurate information. To ensure that every country has access to first-rate data on their marine

environments, the First World Ocean Assessment (FWOA) was completed. It supports

governments by providing a framework for regional and national assessments and management

decisions. This resource supports the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, especially SDG 14. It

will help assess the implementation of SDG 14. Parliamentarians can improve their

governments’

policy-making by incorporating FWOA information in their national/regional ocean

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governance policies and assessments.

Funding for SDG 14

Several parliamentarians expressed concern that their governments, though committed to SDG

14, simply lack financial resources. There is a critical need for high-income countries to

financially support the efforts of medium and low-income countries and to provide technical

capacity-building. Small Island Developing States are experiencing the brunt of ocean pollution

and overfishing, which are disproportionately the responsibility of large multinationals based in

developed countries. Ensuring appropriate taxation of these companies and fines for breaches

of international law will encourage sustainable practices and provide a revenue stream to

address the lack of funding.

International Law

Parliamentarians noted the lack of enforcement of existing international laws designed to protect

the ocean. A legally binding instrument is needed to ensure the conservation and sustainable

use of marine biological diversity of the

“high seas”,

the more than 50% of the ocean that lies

beyond national jurisdiction. Such a legal instrument is currently being negotiated at the United

Nations. Participants lamented the negotiations slow pace. Parliamentarians can apply pressure

to their governments on this issue and direct them to take action on ocean protection. Such

advocacy may help accelerate and focus the negotiations.

The Need for Integrated Solutions at the National Level

National governance with regard to the ocean involves not just one ministry, but every ministry.

An Ocean Ministry, a Council or other authoritative maritime agency needs to be established in

each country to coordinate a government-wide strategy for achieving SDG 14.

Several parliamentarians advocated the use of a process known as Marine Spatial Planning

(MSP), an adaptation of land-use planning for marine waters. The process recognizes the

geographic features, natural resources and habitats of the marine area under national

jurisdiction. It involves multiple ocean users, including local citizens, representatives from

energy, fishing, shipping, government, conservation organizations and recreation providers

surveying the current uses of the waters. Finally, it uses this information to make informed and

coordinated decisions about how to use and manage marine resources sustainably. The targets

and indicators of SDG 14 should serve as reference points and organizing principles for this

process.

A more participatory, bottom-up approach in marine policy-making was discussed. Participants

noted that policy should not be informed exclusively by scientific knowledge but also by local

traditional knowledge, cultural practices, and the knowledge of fishing communities.

The need to be sensitive to marine environments was illustrated by the example of street

lighting in a seaside town. If street lights are placed without concern for local marine habitats,

the brightest light that newly-hatched turtles see is not moonlight, but street lights. As a result,

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

the turtles crawl in the direction of traffic. This example is one of countless ways ocean-illiterate

land-use planning can damage marine ecosystems.

It was suggested that governments adopt a policy that all trade deals involving maritime

transport be evaluated against SDG 14. Trade deals that directly or indirectly threaten ocean

health and the achievement of SDG 14 should be denied. Moreover, parliamentarians

expressed concern that governments had fewer resources for the SDGs than might otherwise

be the case due to corporate tax evasion. The role of parliamentarians in insisting on

transparency with regard to corporate taxation and ensuring fair taxation was underscored.

The participation of many land-locked nations at the hearing was testament to the notion that

the ocean is

“from

mountain top to ocean

floor.”

Parliamentarians from Bhutan, Bolivia and

Burundi, three landlocked countries, noted that rivers, streams and lakes are all part of the

ocean system. A parliamentarian from the Congo noted that the Tanganika Lake must be

protected because its waters flow far downstream into the Atlantic Ocean. The interventions of

these parliamentarians were important reminders that the ocean system reaches well beyond

the coasts.

Overall, the discussion made clear that, as one parliamentarian put it,

“no

single sector can

tackle this

alone.”

Even highly coordinated governments cannot achieve their targets for SDG

14 without the full support of citizens, civil society organizations, and private companies.

The Role of Parliamentarians: Keeping Governments Focused

In the lead up to the UN Ocean Conference in June, parliamentarians must help their

governments prepare for action on ocean sustainability. A sense of urgency around the issue is

essential. Developed countries are encouraged to make generous voluntary commitments to

support less developed nations in their work toward SDG 14. As one parliamentarian noted, the

achievement of all of the SDGs will require unprecedented amounts of money.

A British parliament encouraged his colleagues to embark on a three-step action plan with

respect to the UN Ocean Conference:

a) Before the conference:

In consultation with constituents, identify the position that their

governments should take on the issues that are being negotiated and advocate those

positions with the relevant ministers.

b) During the conference:

Monitor their

government’s

commitments.

After the conference:

Hold their governments responsible for implementing the outcome

document of the conference, and report to their world organization, the Inter-Parliamentary

Union, on progress toward SDG 14’s realization.

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For more information about the process leading up to the UN Ocean Conference,

parliamentarians are encouraged to visit the dedicated website at

https://oceanconference.un.org/

Public Awareness and Political Will

Parliamentarians have an important role to play in raising their

constituents’

awareness of laws

that will protect and sustain the ocean. Throughout the hearing, the following methods of raising

public awareness were discussed.

Partnering with Environment-focused NGOs

NGOs provide expertise on environmental issues and can be highly effective in grassroots

activism, community-wide initiatives and social media campaigns. Parliamentarians can partner

with NGOs to get the word out about decisions facing the government concerning ocean-related

issues.

Advocating for Ocean Literacy in National Curricula

Parliamentarians can encourage their governments to include ocean literacy in their respective

national curricula. Citizens must be committed to sustainability as a rationale for personal and

political choices.

Ocean literacy has practical benefits. A participant noted that during the 2005

tsunami, a young girl saved herself and others, including her parents, because she had learned

at school that waters receding dramatically are a sign of an oncoming tsunami.

Developing a Consumer Force

By working with governments to ensure the private sector respects existing laws,

parliamentarians can contribute to improved modes of production. Through raising public

awareness, parliamentarians can help citizens organize themselves as a consumer force that

demands more sustainable goods.

Using Social Media: Local, National, Regional Outreach

Parliamentarians noted that social media is effective for mobilizing citizens on environmental

issues. Social media can organize local, national and regional communities for environmental

advocacy and action.

Celebrating World Oceans Day--June 8

World Oceans Day is a global day of ocean celebration and collaboration for a better future.

Parliamentarians suggested using June 8th to engage citizens in public awareness around

ocean sustainability.

There are many existing ocean literacy curricula that are of high quality, many of which are open-source

and free of charge. One model of an effective ocean literacy program is

Green Schools Ireland

which

promotes long-term, whole-school action on behalf of the environment in concert with the surrounding

community

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

V. Conclusion: Moving with Purpose towards the UN Ocean Conference

In preparation for the UN Ocean Conference in June, parliamentarians will be working to stir a

debate on the ocean within their parliaments and amongst constituents, generating political will

for a strong outcome document. Parliamentarians are encouraged to request a briefing on their

governments’

preparations for the Ocean Conference, as well as on the negotiations of a new

international legally binding agreement under UNCLOS.

Parliamentarians will need to work pro-actively in support of laws, regulations and budgets that

are consistent with the overarching objective of SDG 14 to reverse the decline of the ocean and

secure its long-term sustainability. This will require a more critical perspective on a way of life,

particularly in developed countries, that has created unsustainable rates of consumption and

pollution. The crisis of the

ocean’s

health represents an opportunity for a shift in value systems

and behavior that is more aligned with sustainability and consideration for others, beginning with

the most vulnerable.

The flowing ocean waters are a common good and a compelling argument for international

cooperation and the observance of international laws. What some countries do or fail to do

affects all other countries and the High Seas where no one country is in charge. All humans,

even in inland States, are affected by the

ocean’s

health.

The problem of ocean decline is too massive for any organization, country or sector to handle

alone. All stakeholders---governments, parliaments, the private sector, civil society and NGOs,

among others,-- must work together to support the

ocean’s

ability to regenerate itself. In the

words of one participant,

“Yes

we can,

collectively!”

should be the rallying cry of ocean lovers

the world over.

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Annex I

Overview of themes discussed and participants

1. During the opening session, the audience was addressed by H.E Peter Thomson (President

of the General Assembly), Hon. Saber Chowdhury (President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union)

and Mr. Wu Hongbo (Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Department for Economic and

Social Affairs), on behalf of Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General.

2. The first segment of the hearing examined the state of the ocean, including challenges and

opportunities, which were discussed by Hon. Mr. Nigel Evans (MP, House of Commons, United

Kingdom), H.E. Carolyn Schwalger (Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of New

Zealand to the United Nations), Mr. Alan Simcock (Joint Coordinator Group of Experts - Regular

Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including

Socioeconomic Aspects), Ms Lisa Speer (Director, International Oceans Program, National

Resources Defence Council) and Mr. Vladimir Ryabinin (Executive Secretary,

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission).

3. During the second session, the audience was addressed by Hon. Gabriela Cuevas (Senate of

Mexico), Hon. John Munyes (Senate of Kenya), H.E. Maria Helena Lopes de Jesus Pires

(Permanent Representative of Timor-Leste to the United Nations), Mr. Nishan Degnarain (Chair

of the Global Agenda Council on Oceans, World Economic Forum) and Mr. Sebastian Mathew

(Executive Director of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers). They examined

the economic benefit of the ocean, specifically balancing exploitation with environmental

preservation.

3. During the third session, the audience was addressed by Hon. Isabelle Lövin (Deputy Prime

Minister and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, Sweden, Co-

President of the Ocean Conference), followed by contributions from H.E. Ahmed Sareer

(Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations), Ms Chelsea Rochman (Co-

Chair, Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Protection, Working Group on

Microplastics), Mr. Paul Holthus (Founding President and CEO, World Ocean Council) and Mr.

Habib El-Habr (Coordinator, Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine

ENvironment from Land-Based Activities (GPA), UNEP). The discussion was focused on

protecting and preserving marine life, particularly in the context of pollution of various types,

marine debris and other waste, as well as considering opportunities for change.

4. During the second half of the third session, the audience was addressed by Hon. Jiko

Fatafehi Luveni (Speaker, Parliament of Fiji), H. E. Isabelle Picco (Ambassador, Permanent

Representative of the Monaco to the United Nations), Prof. Hans Otto Poertner (Alfred Wegener

Institute, Co-Chair of the IPCC Working Group II), Ms Biliana Cicin-Sain (Global Oceans

Forum). Topics climate change connection between rising sea levels, acidification and other

changes within the ecosystem.

MOF, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 422: IPU’s rapport fra høringen den 13. og 14. februar i FN om havet

5. During the fourth session, the audience was addressed by Hon. Bilaibhan Sampatisiri (MP,

National Assembly of Thailand), Mr. Kermenu Vella (Commissioner for Environment, Maritime

Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission), H.E. Mauro Vieira (Permanent Representative of

Brazil to the United Nations), Mr. Michael Lodge (Secretary General, International Seabed

Authority), Ms Kristina Gjerde (Senior High Seas Advisor, IUCN Global Marine and Polar

Programme) and Ms Jayne Stowell (Google UK, Member of the International Cable Protection

Committee). The focus of this session was on governance of the ocean, strengthening of peace

in a particularly oceanic context, maritime security, as well as cooperation and broad, friendly

relations among all nations.

6. The closing session included a brief video presentation and remarks by Mr. Martin Chungong

(IPU Secretary General) and H.E. Peter Thomson (President of the General Assembly).