Blueprint for Marine Protected Areas
A masterplan for solutions to marine biodiversity loss in coastal communities
Blue Marine is a UK-based charity that was set up by the team behind the award-winning documentary The End of The Line. Its objective is to restore the ocean to health by addressing overfishing, one of the world’s biggest environmental problems.
“Scientists agree that, in order to conserve marine biodiversity, avoid runaway climate change, protect blue carbon habitats and ensure food security, we need to place at least 30 per cent of the ocean under meaningful protection. To achieve this 30 per cent target, the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) needs to be an attainable and practical option for coastal and island communities."
"Ocean protection requires a suite of approaches, including the establishment of effective MPAs, sustainable management of fisheries and other extractive industries, climate abatement, and control of many types of pollution including agricultural and human waste, invasive species, noise and plastic."
"Meaningful protection of our oceans is key to stemming global marine biodiversity loss. With 83 per cent of the global carbon cycle circulated through the oceans, MPAs also play a critical role in mitigating the impact of climate change."