{"id":8248,"date":"2019-04-03T20:01:33","date_gmt":"2019-04-04T00:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/?p=8248"},"modified":"2019-11-06T03:27:54","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:27:54","slug":"30x30-groundbreaking-scientific-study-maps-out-how-to-protect-a-third-of-the-worlds-oceans-by-2030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/press-release\/8248\/30x30-groundbreaking-scientific-study-maps-out-how-to-protect-a-third-of-the-worlds-oceans-by-2030\/","title":{"rendered":"30×30: groundbreaking scientific study maps out how to protect a third of the world\u2019s oceans by 2030"},"content":{"rendered":"

(CANADA) \u2013 As governments meet at the UN to negotiate towards an historic Global Ocean Treaty<\/a>, a groundbreaking study by leading marine biologists has mapped out how to protect over a third of the world\u2019s oceans by 2030, a target that scientists say is crucial in order to safeguard wildlife and to help mitigate the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n

The report,\u00a030×30: A Blueprint For Ocean Protection<\/strong>\u00a0(see\u00a0executive summary<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0full report<\/a>), is the result of a year-long collaboration between leading academics at the University of York, University of Oxford and Greenpeace. [1] In one of the largest ever studies of its kind, researchers broke down the global oceans \u2013 which cover almost half the planet \u2013 into 25,000 squares of 100×100 km, and then mapped the distribution of 458 different conservation features, including wildlife, habitats and key oceanographic features, generating hundreds of scenarios for what a planet-wide network of ocean sanctuaries, free from harmful human activity, could look like.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe speed at which the high seas have been depleted of some of their most spectacular and iconic wildlife has taken the world by surprise,\u201d said Prof Callum Roberts,\u00a0marine\u00a0conservation biologist at the University of York. \u201cExtraordinary losses of seabirds, turtles, sharks\u00a0and\u00a0marine mammals reveal a broken governance system that governments at the United Nations must urgently fix. This report shows how protected areas could be rolled out across international waters to create a net of protection that will help save species from extinction and help them survive in our fast-changing world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Negotiations at the UN towards a Global Ocean Treaty could pave the way for the protection of oceans outside of national borders, that cover 230 million square kilometers. This research explores what it would mean to fully protect 30% and 50% of the global oceans, both widely discussed ambitions for conservation targets. Various scenarios for protection, as well as wildlife hotspots and threats to the ocean, can be explored using this\u00a0interactive map<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating marine reserves is critical to protecting and conserving the diversity of marine life,\u201d said Prof Alex Rogers, Visiting Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. \u201cThe 30×30 report puts forward a credible design for a global network of marine protected areas in the high seas based on knowledge accumulated over years by marine ecologists on the distribution of species, including those threatened with extinction, habitats known to be hotspots of biodiversity and unique ecosystems. Oxford scientists joined forces with Greenpeace and the University of York to provide data on marine ecosystems and expertise on the deep sea, including seamounts and hydrothermal vents. At a time when countries at the UN are negotiating towards a Global Ocean Treaty, this plan\u00a0crystallises\u00a0a way of practically implementing a new framework for the protection of marine life in international waters, including those species threatened with extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agn\u00e8s Le Rouzic of Greenpeace\u2019s Oceans and Plastic campaign said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom climate change to ocean acidification, overfishing and pollution, our oceans are under threat like never before. We urgently need to protect at least a third of our oceans by 2030, and what\u2019s so exciting about this research is that it shows that it is entirely possible to design and create a robust, planet-wide network of ocean sanctuaries. These wouldn\u2019t just be lines drawn on a map, but a coherent, interconnected chain of protection encompassing wildlife hotspots, migration corridors\u00a0and\u00a0critical ecosystems. This is a blueprint for ocean protection that would safeguard the full spectrum of marine life, help tackle the crisis facing our oceans and enable their recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe negotiations taking place here at the UN are crucial because, if they get it right, governments around the world could secure a Global Ocean Treaty by 2020 which has the teeth to\u00a0realise\u00a0a network of ocean sanctuaries, off-limits from harmful human activities. This would give wildlife and habitats space not only to recover but to flourish. Our oceans are in crisis, but all we need is the political will to protect them before it\u2019s too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1] 30×30: A Blueprint for Ocean Protection builds on a scientific study by a team of experts which was led by Professor Callum Roberts at the University of York to design a marine protected area network for the high seas. The research team included scientists at the Universities of York, Oxford, Edinburgh and Salford and the study was financially supported by the \u2018Umweltstiftung Greenpeace\u2019 (Environment Foundation Greenpeace), Germany, which promotes the protection of the environment and nature, as well as peace research. It supports Greenpeace campaigns and other conservation projects all over the world.<\/p>\n

Executive Summary:\u00a0www.greenpeace.org\/30x30brief<\/a><\/p>\n

Full report:\u00a0www.greenpeace.org\/30x30blueprint<\/a><\/p>\n

Interactive Map:\u00a0www.greenpeace.org\/30×30<\/a><\/p>\n

Global Ocean Treaty briefings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

For more information, see:\u00a0Protect the Global Oceans: Why We Need a Global Ocean Treaty<\/a><\/p>\n

For a detailed\u00a0policy\u00a0briefing see\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information, please contact:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marie-Christine Fiset, Head of Media, Greenpeace Canada
\nmfiset@greenpeace.org;<\/a>\u00a0+1 (514) 400-3256<\/p>\n

Luke Massey, Head of Communications & Engagement for Greenpeace\u2019s Protect the Oceans campaign,\u00a0luke.massey@greenpeace.org<\/a>, +44 (0) 7973 873 155<\/p>\n

University of York: \u00a0Alistair Keely, Head of Media Relations,\u00a0alistair.keely@york.ac.uk<\/a>, +44 (0) 1904 322153. Out of hours: +44 (0) 7795 315 029<\/p>\n

University of Oxford: Ruth Abrahams, Media Relations Manager (Research and Innovation),\u00a0ruth.abrahams@admin.ox.ac.uk<\/a>, +44 (0)1865 280 730<\/p>\n

Photo and video:<\/strong><\/p>\n

For a free-to-use collection of ocean photo and video, see:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/media.greenpeace.org\/collection\/27MZIFJWA83W0<\/a><\/p>\n

For spokespeople at the UN:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Use the media contacts above for interview inquiries for the following Greenpeace spokespeople at the UN in New York during the negotiations:<\/p>\n