Ocean of Solutions: Protecting Biodiversity in the Blue Economy

The Pacific Ocean – home to a wealth of marine life – has long been a rich source of biodiversity. Covering an area almost a third of the planet, it is also the provider of food and livelihoods.Its ability to absorb our atmosphere’s carbon also makes our oceans in dispensable in our fight against global warming.

Yet the unprecedented economic and population growth is now posing a serious threat to our ocean’s natural balance. Industrial fishing and plastic pollution have led to the erosion of marine ecosystems, exacerbating the threat of biodiversity loss. Meanwhile, deep-sea mining firms are pushing for a change in sea laws to allow them to mine for metals and minerals that - arguably - provides for the energy transition.

As the planet’s ocean suffers from the ‘domino effect’ of a degraded marine ecosystem resiliency, more voices from stakeholders are calling out against irresponsible industrial activities that have substantially altered marine food chains.

Several solutions have been proposed to protect the biodiversity of oceans. Strengthening the regional ocean governance in Asia Pacific could be key to cohesively unite the efforts of marine life conservation. This includes expanding the coverage of Marine Protected Areas, introducing more transparent regulations, implementing more sustainable fishing practice, and more robust understanding of risks associated with deep-sea mining.

This dialogue discusses the challenges we face in protecting the Asia’s ocean biodiversity, and the opportunities that natural climate solutions may offer.
Highlights from a policy brief on this topic will be shared during the session. 

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