Sept. 9, 2022 (London)
Studies have shown there is an urgent need “to enhance scientific understanding of the ocean and climate nexus” …which should be “adequately reflected in policy, dialogue, and action,” the G20 said yesterday.
G20 to form “G20 Partnership on Ocean-based Actions for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation”: Presidency proposal by Indonesia — additions in square brackets:
Unedited Extract:
“Urgent action is needed to invest in ocean science, facilitate the exchange of technology and information, support the scaling-up of the protection of coastal and marine environments, support small-scale fishing communities, and the sustainable management of the oceans.
“The contribution of the oceans to the global economy is projected to grow to USD 3 trillion
by 2030 [from $1.5 trillion in 2010]. More than 3 billion people rely on the oceans for their livelihoods, and over 80 percent of world trade is transported by sea.
“Small-scale fisheries account for about 90 percent of primary marine fisheries employment.
“Climate change increases the intensity and frequency of natural hazards, ocean warming, acidity, and deoxygenation, and it causes shifts in the distribution and abundance of fish populations, adversely affecting fishery-dependent developing countries.
“Small-scale fishers and fish farmers are also important stakeholders [as] are the local implementers and enforcers that restore and protect their natural resources, thus being vital champions for nature-based solutions to climate change.
“Until recently, the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation in national fisheries and aquaculture development and policies was weak and only slowly improving.
“There is a need for greater adaptation in the sector, but in particular to its
tailoring to national and sub-national contexts in order to take into account the specific
threats, sensitivity, and vulnerability of fisheries and aquaculture systems and to enhance
their adaptation potential and that of the communities and stakeholders who depend on
them.
“Recognizing, integrating, and addressing concerns specific to fisheries and aquaculture will lead to greater resilience of the sector and of the communities it supports in the face of climate and other environmental threats.”
(Tweaked headline on Sept. 14)