In response to a new study published in the journal Nature, which offers an unprecedented view of previously unmapped industrial use of the ocean, John Hocevar, Director of Greenpeace USA oceans campaigns, said: “This study makes it crystal clear just how extensive humans’ impact on the ocean has become. Healthy ocean ecosystems help regulate the climate, protect us from storms, and provide food and livelihoods for billions of people. And quite simply, we need the ocean to breathe; half of our oxygen is provided by the ocean. We all feel the impacts of an ocean that has been thrown out of balance by human activity, and it will only get worse unless we act quickly.
“For too long, we have treated the oceans as too big to fail, allowing industrial fishing to spread nearly from pole to pole, often with little or no regulation, which has enabled the proliferation of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the associated scourge of modern slavery among vulnerable fishing crew. Businesses are still being granted permits to drill for oil and gas, even as we hurtle toward climate chaos. And to add insult to injury, the International Seabed Authority is rushing to open up the oceans to the destructive new industry of deep sea mining.
“We need to reexamine our approach. Nations should ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and work together to create a network of sanctuaries that will rebuild depleted populations, protect biodiversity, and give our oceans a fighting chance to survive the rapidly growing impacts of climate change and plastic pollution. Additionally, requiring transparent fishing vessel tracking would help to stem biodiversity loss and protect workers from forced labor and human trafficking. Unnecessary and destructive industries like deep sea mining should be banned, and no new offshore drilling should be allowed. A strong Global Plastics Treaty that reduces plastic production will help protect ocean life as well as human life.
“For the benefit of all life on this planet, it’s time to stop treating the ocean like an unlimited ATM and more like a vital part of our home. We have some unprecedented opportunities to protect our ocean right now, and we need President Biden to step up and make them count.”
