February 26, 2014 — John Kerry has called for a huge expansion of marine reserves as concerns about the state of the world's oceans and the potential impact on the global economy grow.
Fresh from this month's rallying call for international action on climate change, the US Secretary of State yesterday urged countries to work together to manage fish stocks and protect oceans from pollution, while also better assessing how climate change is affecting the marine environment.
"Keeping our oceans healthy is a food security issue and therefore a global security issue," Kerry said in a video address to a high-level oceans meeting hosted by the Economist and National Geographic.
"Today, less than three per cent of the world's oceans are part of a marine protected area or a marine reserve," he added. "Think about the progress we could make if just 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas were protected. I think that's a goal that we could accomplish and it's one we ought to set for ourselves."
Marine protection zones are thought to help replenish fish stocks and conserve coral reefs. Studies suggest around 90 per cent of the populations of the largest fish species have disappeared since the 1960s due to overfishing and environmental degradation, while up to two thirds of the world's coral reefs are thought to be damaged by acidic waters caused by carbon dioxide emissions.
Last week, a European Commission report warned member states are not doing enough to tackle declining fish stocks and improve the health of the ocean, adding "urgent efforts" are required to restore marine ecosystem to a "good status" by 2020.
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