Why Protect Oceans?

OCEANS OUR LIVING RESOURCE OCEANS COVER 71 PERCENT OF THE PLANET. Our oceans feed us, provide a source of livelihood and economic stability, regulate our climate, and so much more. But the shared resource of the world's oceans is under stress and it's time to work together to restore the health and productivity of oceans. 350 WHY ARE OCEANS LIVELIHOODS IMPORTANT? Healthy oceans serve as a MILLION natural resource bank for current and future generations. ESTIMATED JOBS LINKED TO AND THE OCEANS GLOBALLY 90% FOOD of the people who derive livelihoods from fishing live in developing countries. CLIMATE 5X MORE carbon is stored by coastal habitats than by tropical forests. 1 BILLION CO2 people in developing countries depend on fish for their primary source of protein. Oceans absorb heat and carbon dioxide, generate oxygen, and help regulate the world's weather patterns. THE OCEAN'S WEALTH 85 Oceans account for much of the planet's economic prosperity. NATIONS 2х AND $25 BILLION the value of $102 trade in coffee $$ BILLION is the value of the fish trade for developing countries per year, making it their most significant traded food product per year are involved in international trade in fish and fish products. $9 is made in ecotourism related to reefs per year. BILLION $10 BILLION in tuna alone is traded per year. POLLUTION & 35% of global mangrove PROTECTION 30% of sea grass beds Our oceans are under severe stress from human impact. 46,000 o- 20% of coral reefs pleces of plastic are estimated to be afloat on every square mile of ocean. have been destroyed as a result of expanding coastal population centers. There's 5X MORE nitrogen fertilizer application-a huge source of ocean 4@5 pollution-than in 1960. 2% of oceans are protected, whereas about "DEAD ZONES" (where most marine life cannot survive) cover 12% 95,000 of terrestrial areas are under SQUARE MILES protection. as a result of increased runoff from agriculture. MAXED OUT FISHERIES 85% Overfishing is exhausting a critical source of protein and livelihood. of the world ocean fisheries are categorized as FULLY EXPLOoITED OVER-EXPLOITED DEPLETED Intense competition and increasingly sophisticated technology is translating into ever-larger catches, placing overall fishing capacity at 2.5X Cumulative loss to economies from fisheries mismanagement is estimated to be $2.2 TRILLION SUSTAINABLE HARVEST LEVELS for the past three decades. SOURCES: FAO 2010 // Nellemann et al 2009 // Cesar et al 2004// Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005// Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Deep Waters and High Seas, 2006 (UNEP and IUCN) // National Geographic Society / /World Bank, "The Sunken Billions: The Economic Justification for Fisheries Reform," 2008. The Global Partnership for Oceans is a growing alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and private sector interests committed to addressing the threats to the health, productivity and resilience of the world's oceans. It aims to tackle widely documented problems of overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss. To learn more. please visit: www.globalpartnershipforoceans.org