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In the coming days, the French city of Brest will be the venue where heads of state and representative figures from dozens of countries will meet to discuss measures to protect marine spaces. The fight against illegal fishing and plastics will be the main axes of the congress. The Elysée Palace announced that the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will make an announcement on this last item.
From this Wednesday, February 9, until Friday, the One Ocean Summit will take place, the summit to seek consensus on methods to protect the oceans.
In the French city of Brest, dozens of international figures will attend the event where the fight against illegal fishing and plastics, one of the most harmful polluting reasons for the ecosystem, will be discussed as main axes.
As pointed out from the Elysee, there would be “important mandatory announcements” in reference to the care that will be implemented on the plastic products that occupy the marine space and that 80% arrive from the mainland.
Highly polluting countries such as China and India are studying ways to create legislation to control this problem. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make an announcement on the issue.
For its part, regarding illegal fishing, the French Presidency equated it with serious criminal figures such as drug trafficking and piracy for having similarities in the negative impact of the ecosystem and the working conditions of its workforce.
The oceans are the poumons de la Terre 💙.
Pourtant, ils sont aujourd’hui threatened.
Coup d’envoi mercredi à Brest du #OneOceanSummitto ensure the protection and sustainable management of the oceans. https://t.co/dEAxnxHOAJ
– United Nations (UN) (@ONU_fr) February 9, 2022
Meanwhile, the intention will be to draw up new international commitments to stop the acidification of the oceans and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that complicate the rise in water levels. In addition, they will talk about tightening regulations on international waters.
This meeting will be attended by 40 countries, NGOs and civil representatives. Among them, the participation of the president of Egypt Abdelfatah al-Sisi stands out, given that this year’s COP-27 will be held in the North African country.
In addition to the Egyptian, there will also be the heads of state of the members of the Mediterranean basin, such as Morocco, Tunisia or Croatia. From South America will be Iván Duque, head of state of Colombia. While John Kerry will participate for the United States.
The ocean landscape in numbers
The average temperature of the oceans in 2020 was 14.4°C, according to the United States Agency for Oceanic and Atmospheric Observation. A new record. By comparison, 20 years ago it was 13.8°C.
The current pH of the ocean – its level of acidity – is 8.15. It is the lowest in the last 22 centuries, recorded by the World Meteorological Organization. As a result of receiving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the oceans become more acidic, which makes it difficult for marine life, since it only thrives at a pH of 8.25.
The average rate of sea level rise in 2021 was 4.4, marked the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It has gone from an average of 2.1 mm per year between 1993 and 2002 to 4.4 mm per year between 2013 and 2021.
44% of fish stocks are being overexploited worldwide, according to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. At these levels, species can no longer renew themselves.
Maritime transport represents 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Higher Institute of Maritime Economy, which is higher than air transport, whose percentage is estimated at 2%.
17% of marine animals could become extinct by 2100 if carbon dioxide emissions continue at current rates, the American magazine PNAS warned in 2019. If the world manages to keep warming below 2°C, this decrease would be limited to 5%.
99% of coral reefs are doomed to disappear due to global warming, according to a study published on Tuesday, February 1 in the journal PLOS Climate. Although they only cover 0.2% of the ocean surface, they constitute an essential ecosystem, hosting almost a quarter of all marine species.
The average amount of plastic that is dumped into the oceans each year is 11 tons. This number could double by 2030, the UN warned. Around 95% of this waste that floats on the surface of the water ends up on the seabed in the form of microplastics and is impossible to recover.
8% of marine areas are protected on the planet, assured the 2020 report of the United Nations Environment Program. This is 28.1 million square kilometers, a figure that is increasing, but it is still far from the goal set by the international community, which is to reach 10%.
Around the coasts of the world live 600 million people. Of these, 200 million work in marine fishing, according to the UN.
with EFE