Ocean Conservation and Climate Change in the Americas
Furthering the theme on Sustainable Development after its recent
Ministerial Meeting, the OAS co-hosted an international discussion
entitled “Our Shared Treasure: Oceans and Climate Change” on October
26 in Washington DC. The
67th OAS Policy Roundtable,
sponsored by the Principality
of Monaco and National Geographic,
gathered expert panelists to discuss
challenges and successful
practices for ocean conservation.
The Principality of
Monaco was represented by its Ambassador to the United States,
Maguy Maccario Doyle, who stressed her country’s long legacy of
environmental stewardship and welcomed the OAS forum as “the first
ever to be dedicated to the subject of oceans and climate change
together.”
In his opening remarks, OAS Assistant Secretary General, Néstor
Méndez indicated that “The Oceans cover 70% of the surface and 99%
of the living space by volume of the planet. Yet, we are only
beginning to understand the goods and services the oceans provide in
terms of economic and ecological benefits. The value of the ocean
in absorbing pollution, cycling carbon, regulating climate,
harboring biodiversity and providing basic life support to our
planet remains to be quantified.”
The speakers
addressed a myriad of
actions needed to promote ocean integrity and productivity, but
noted that given the inter-linked ecosystems of the ocean, this remains
an enormous challenge. Experts underscored that a lucid
understanding of the existing international and national initiatives
and mechanisms related to ocean conservation will be essential to
make progress.
In this light, the discussions at the Roundtable centered on
successful practices, policies and mechanisms that promote ocean
conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas
beyond national jurisdiction. By bringing governments, experts and
specialized organizations together, the Roundtable helped lay the
foundation to facilitate cooperation and a constructive dialogue
towards the strengthening of sustainable development conditions and
the protection of the environment.
An issue that became central to the discussion, illustrating the
types of threats facing the region, was that of Sargassum seaweed.
In recent years, huge mats of Sargassum have been washing up on
Caribbean beaches, accumulating as high as 3 to 4 feet on some
beaches. Although this “floating rainforest of the ocean” is a
native and important ecological part of the Caribbean Sea,
quantities of this magnitude have never been seen before, and
experts believe climate change is at the root of the problem. The
negative ecological, economic, and health impacts of these levels of
Sargassum to local populations is a current concern to many
governments. Its unsightliness and suffocating smell is affecting
tourism revenue and triggering inland-migration of people living in
some coastal communities. Fauna is also being impacted. Sea Turtles,
for example, have trouble nesting on beaches and their offspring
become tangled in the seaweed trying to reach the sea after
hatching. Furthermore, the livelihoods of fisher-folk have been
affected as they are unable to bring their catches ashore.
The Organization is well positioned to support countries in
addressing this and other related challenges. Under its
ReefFix Project, the
OAS Department of Sustainable Development recently provided
15 small grants to
support the effective management of coastal and marine resources in
CARICOM Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Through ReefFix,
participating countries developed cost-effective techniques that can
be replicated throughout the wider Caribbean to mitigate marine
health deterioration. On the issue at hand, for example, resulting
ReefFix case studies provide collaborative research and encourage
actions that could diminish problems such as Sargassum outbreaks.
Importantly, the
67th Policy
Roundtable on Oceans and Climate Change encouraged the formation of
an “Inter-American Task Force for the Oceans”, an initiative of
great interest to OAS Member States. If it becomes
operational, the Task Force could serve to strengthen the capacity
of Member States to meet commitments made under international
agreements, such as the
Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI)
– by which countries pledged to
conserve 20% of their marine resources by 2020--
and complement the collaborative
research initiated under the OAS ReefFix Project.
OAS Host Policy Roundtable on Oceans and Climate Change - October 26, 2015 from OAS/OEA TV on Vimeo.