Support ocean regeneration zones

By making this commitment, your business is helping achieve a healthy and productive Ocean. Businesses need to get active in promoting and supporting the creation of “national parks at sea” – marine reserves – that strengthen Ocean resilience and help restore and revitalize Ocean life.

Ideas for action

  • Encourage and support marine reserve designations for the protection of at least 10% of the Ocean by 2020 and with 30% strongly protected by 2030. This is a smart investment with high returns in terms of jobs, fish and improved Ocean system services.

Why? The Ocean has an incredible ability to regenerate itself, so if we act now we can make a difference. We need to harness the Ocean’s carbon-absorbing power and increase its resilience by protecting ecosystems and helping to rebuild marine species abundance. We need to act on all fronts to climate-proof our ecosystems as much as possible, including by strongly protecting at least 30% of our Ocean as marine reserves by 2030, which means that 70% of the Ocean would still be open for business. Highly protected marine reserves, where no destructive or extractive activities take place, are a key part of the solution for the Ocean crisis. The science on the benefits of marine reserves is robust and clear. They can help reduce and buffer the impacts of climate change on the Ocean, and to rebuild species abundance and diversity, restoring ecosystems and restocking marine life. They also provide a scientific reference in terms of assessing the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, and bring economic benefits. They are the best tool we have to help the Ocean regenerate and we need to expand their application – and to do so without delay.

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