Global Ocean Commission (2013; Somerville College, Oxford University, UK; 22 staff; www.globaloceancommission.org)
An initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts, in partnership with Somerville College at the University of Oxford Adessium Foundation and Oceans 5. It seeks politically and technically feasible short-, medium-, and long-term progress on 10 dimensions of the global ocean: a Sustainable Development Goal, ocean acidification and climate change, eliminating marine pollution, bioprospecting and marine genetic resources, deep seabed mining, ending subsidies to harmful fisheries, illegal and unreported fishing, high seas fisheries management, protecting biodiversity, and modernizing ocean governance.
Drivers of Decline:
- Rising demand for resources like minerals and energy, genetic materials, and living marine resources
- Technological advances allowing deep sea access and exploitation, better vessels, increased extraction
- Decline of fish stocks due to overfishing, fleet overcapacities, subsidies, and illegal unreported unregulated (IUU) Fishing
- Climate change, biodiversity and habitat loss due to ocean acidification, destructive fishing, and pollution
- Weak high seas governance leading to a patchwork of responsibilities, a lack of compliance and enforcement, and a lack of ability to deal with new challenges like geoengineering
Publications:
- A resource library of videos, photos, social media
- Two reports on “The Future Of Our Ocean: Next steps and Priorities” (2016, 21p.) and “From Decline to Recovery A Rescue Package for the Global Ocean” (2014, 47p.)
Leadership: Jose Maria Figueres (Co-Chair), Trevor Manuel (Co-Chair), David Miliband (Co-Chair)