In Rare Show of Solidarity, 14 Key Nations Commit To Protect Oceans (nationalgeographic.co.uk) 74
When the heads of state of 14 nations sat down together in late 2018 to discuss the grim condition of the world's oceans, there was no certainty that anything consequential would result. The leaders planned 14 gatherings, but met only twice before the pandemic upended their talks. So when the group announced this week the world's most far-reaching pact to protect and sustain ocean health, it signalled rather more than a noteworthy achievement in a complicated time. From a report: The agreement, negotiated via the nuance-free tool of video conferencing, also offered hope of a renewed era of global accord on climate, where issues grounded in science might finally trump political posturing. Overall, the 14 leaders agreed to sustainably manage 100 percent of the oceans under their national jurisdictions by 2025 -- an area of ocean roughly the size of Africa. Additionally, they vowed to set aside 30 percent of the seas as marine protected areas by 2030, in keeping with the United Nations' campaign known as "30 by 30." Both of those large commitments, the leaders say, will help end overfishing and illegal fishing, rebuild declining fish stocks, halt the flow of plastic waste into the seas, and clean up "dead zones" created by runoff from farm waste.
"What I find really interesting is that 14 nations spent the last two years talking to each other in an experiment you'd like to see more of in the future," says Nancy Knowlton, a marine scientist emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, who was not involved in the project. "They are working together as a team. Starting with countries on the same page provides a mechanism for actually achieving success." The group of 14 looks nothing like the usual assemblage of international leaders recruited for global initiatives. France, with its vast array of overseas territories that gives it one of the planet's largest ocean footprints, was not invited. Nor were the powerhouse players of Russia, China, or the United States.
"What I find really interesting is that 14 nations spent the last two years talking to each other in an experiment you'd like to see more of in the future," says Nancy Knowlton, a marine scientist emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, who was not involved in the project. "They are working together as a team. Starting with countries on the same page provides a mechanism for actually achieving success." The group of 14 looks nothing like the usual assemblage of international leaders recruited for global initiatives. France, with its vast array of overseas territories that gives it one of the planet's largest ocean footprints, was not invited. Nor were the powerhouse players of Russia, China, or the United States.
The countries (Score:5, Informative)
Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Norway, Portugal, Ghana, Kenya, Palau, Fiji, Indonesia, Namibia, Chile, Jamaica
Re:The countries (Score:4, Insightful)
It's good that we're starting somewhere, but that's a somewhat disappointing list considering: "Combined, they represent 20 percent of the world’s fisheries, and 20 percent of the world’s shipping fleet"
In the category of over-fishing we really need to include the big Asian players like China, Vietnam, Thailand. And of course the USA.
Also need to come to some sort of consensus on best practices around farmed fisheries. We can't simply say, dramatically reduce wild fishing but also essentially prohibit farmed fishing. Farmed fishing isn't perfect but it can be done in responsible way is necessary given demand for seafood.
Re:The countries (Score:5, Interesting)
In the category of over-fishing we really need to include the big Asian players like China, Vietnam, Thailand. And of course the USA.
They specifically did not invite the big players, because they're too hard to work with. They decided it was better to get a group of like-minded countries who were serious about addressing a problem, without the distraction of silly status games.
It makes a lot of sense to me. If a bunch of small countries collectively representing 1/5th to 1/3rd of the relevant global industry can get together and form a solid coalition, they're then in a position to negotiate with the big players on something like an even footing. But they've got build the coalition first, which is a long and complex process.
IMO this is a very sensible approach and one that we need more of.
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Indeed, but before we celebrate it, let's see if they are able to actually force the bigger players into action, because by themselves the smaller countries can do diddlysquat.
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Indeed, but before we celebrate it, let's see if they are able to actually force the bigger players into action, because by themselves the smaller countries can do diddlysquat.
They can affect the 1/5th to 1/3rd they control. That's not nothing.
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t's good that we're starting somewhere, but that's a somewhat disappointing list considering: "Combined, they represent 20 percent of the world’s fisheries, and 20 percent of the world’s shipping fleet"
What you do have with this group at least is Canada, which has the longest coastline in the world, by a margin that isn't even close [wikipedia.org]. Using World Facebook figures, Canada has more coastline than the next three countries combined.
It's a start, with at least one major, significant player involved. Hopefully this group can grow to encompass more countries (including those with sizeable fishing fleets) in time.
Yaz
Re: The countries (Score:2)
Best thing is to simply stop nations that are doing this from fishing in your waters, OR selling on your local market
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20 percent of the fisheries, but 40% of the coastline.
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I could be wrong but it seems as though those aren't the countries dumping the most crap into the oceans. It's really easy to be in favor of neighborhood beautification projects when you have the nicest house on the block.
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I could be wrong but it seems as though those aren't the countries dumping the most crap into the oceans.
China is, by far, the biggest source of oceanic plastic waste.
But Indonesia is also a big source and is a party to this agreement.
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If it was shipped to the US, it is very unlikely it was dumped in the ocean.
Most likely, it went to a landfill, which is a good way to sequester carbon.
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Not necessarily the case.
Check "Share of global total mismanaged plastic waste" on https://ourworldindata.org/pla... [ourworldindata.org]
Indonesia doesn't generate much plastic waste on a per capita basis, or even in aggregate compared to somewhere like the US, but they disproportionately pollute the ocean with it.
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Don't play into this, our government in Canada doesn't care about the environment unless it can tax you to death on it.
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.58273... [www.cbc.ca]
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why was this list of nations not inside the article itself?
It is. Second-to-last paragraph. Partly because the point of the article was that the identities were less important than the effort, and partly to get you to read to the end (which obviously didn't work on you).
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The link in the last paragraph of the
The image on the panel's website front page is a looping image of participating countries appearing one by one — and the countries disappearing is just the start of the loop.
"Solidarity" (Score:2)
Political buzz words are even worse than technical ones.
I still can't get used to saying "Solutions Provider" after over twenty years into my professional life.
Still they have a lot of the offenders at the table. China is the worst that wasn't there, but they don't give two-shits about their damage anyways.
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nuance-free tool of video conferencing (Score:2)
What is a nuance-free tool and why does video conferencing qualify?
Re: nuance-free tool of video conferencing (Score:1)
Bad news (Score:2)
Turns out they are all landlocked countries.
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Turns out they are all landlocked countries.
LOL. You fail at Geography. From FTA, the nations are: "Australia, Canada, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Portugal, and the island nations of Fiji, Jamaica, and Palau." All of them have coastlines, therefore none are land-locked.
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You're right I really did think those countries were landlocked. Especially Australia, I was sure of it after seeing that Crocodile Dundee movie.
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You do realize there is no US system.
There are 50 little systems.
And it isn't even as simple as that.
I assume you know where all 190 some countries are.
I can't be sure that backslashdot is American.
And yes when I, like most people here, say American I mean the country and not the Americas.
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You do realize there is no US system. There are 50 little systems.
You do realize those 50 little systems are all a part of a thing called the United States (U.S), right?
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I think pp was trying to make a joke.
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LOL. You fail at Slashdot. No one reads the articles.
Newb. :-)
geography (Score:2)
" and the island nations of Fiji, Jamaica, and Palau."
Australia and Japan are also Island nations.
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Turns out they are all landlocked countries.
The Earth being flat
Not in the summary (Score:1)
The nations are;
Australia, Canada, Fiji, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan & Palau, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway and Portugal.
They are missing a big key player on their list (Score:2)
China actively sends their fishing boats halfway across the globe into other countries fishing waters, and of course they won't make an agreement on stopping their behavior
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I find it hilarious
You have a weird laughing taste.
Re: They are missing a big key player on their lis (Score:1)
China, the largest fishing fleet in the world... (Score:2)
When the Chinese fleet does not participate, these 14 nation's participation is meaningless.
https://e360.yale.edu/features... [yale.edu]
https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate... [ctvnews.ca]
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If China participated, they would continue to do what they are doing now and then lie about it. Which they are also doing now.
Re: China, the largest fishing fleet in the world. (Score:2)
Stop fishing (Score:3)
If you don't farm it, you don't eat it. Enforce on all countries.
That would go a long way...
Looks good on paper... (Score:1)
Political posturing (Score:1)
waste of time (Score:2)
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it's little more than the adolescent children of a family discussing the mortgage without their parents.
Well said
Re: waste of time (Score:2)
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Sustainable fishing should be a no-brainer (Score:3)
Sustainable fishing should be a no-brainer. If you lead to fish stock collapse, you will get no fish next year.
We don't see that in farming or even in hunting. Maybe it is because in these case people who manage the stock own the land and fishermen don't own a plot of sea where they are allowed to fish, so they compete with each other without regards for the resource?
Re:Sustainable fishing should be a no-brainer (Score:4, Insightful)
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Let's hope these nations arrive at better solutions, in a more equitable manner, than those [wikipedia.org] used in the past.
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A Chinese region that is home to a significant portion of the country’s distant-water fishing effort is reporting a bumper start to 2020, even as the catch in domestic waters is being cut for conservation. A new document from the Fujian Ocean and Fisheries Bureau provides catch data from the south-easterly pro [seafoodsource.com]
Normal (Score:2)
"France, with its vast array of overseas territories that gives it one of the planet's largest ocean footprints, was not invited. Nor were the powerhouse players of Russia, China, or the United States."
Nobody wants to play with the bullies.
China Buried Miles of Coral Reefa (Score:1)
Countries (Score:1)
Re: Shocking (Score:2)
Nations like canada, australia, mexico, chile, etc have all been victims to this same strategy.
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Japan? Is that a joke? (Score:1)
Theft (Score:2)
Five countries account for 90 percent of distant-w (Score:3)
Simple fact is, these nations are going into other nations and depleting the stock.
It is time to stop china, taiwan from destroying fish stocks.