UK pushes protections for international marine biodiversity

The UK Government has today reaffirmed its commitment as a leader on international nature conservation, with a package of measures to address pressing challenges such as biodiversity loss, marine protection, climate change, and illegal fishing.

The announcements made at the UN General Assembly in New York this week by Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey and Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad will build on the work that the UK has already done on the international stage to put nature and the environment at the top of the international agenda.

This includes playing a leading role in negotiating and securing the new Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at the UN Biodiversity Summit in Montreal, which contains targets and goals to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

To help protect marine life in the high seas, the UK will be one of the first signatories of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, which will help establish large-scale marine protected areas in the two-thirds of the global ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction.

The UK will also sign the Ocean Conservation Pledge, building on our existing commitments to protect at least 30% of our own marine area by 2030, and has endorsed the High-Level Panel Leader’s Communiqué, urging ocean-based action across climate, fisheries, pollution, management, and mobilizing finance.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

It is vital that we maintain the momentum of the UN Biodiversity Conference last year and focus on implementation.

Today’s announcements will help to tackle biodiversity loss at sea and on land, and I urge more nations to join us as we drive forward progress on this global mission ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the United Nations at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said:

I look forward to signing the BBNJ Agreement at the United Nation’s General Assembly and making the UK one of the first signatories. This agreement is a major victory for ocean protection and multilateral diplomacy and underpins the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as the cornerstone of ocean governance.

The UK played an important role in the negotiations and will continue to be proactive in preparing for implementation and entry into force and supporting other, particularly developing, countries, to do so.

In addition, the UK government has pledged funding to support marine protection, ocean research, and activities to combat illegal fishing. These investments will bolster initiatives aimed at conserving our oceans and ensuring their long-term sustainability by allocating resources to these critical areas.

And on Thursday, the Environment Secretary will chair the first-ever Commonwealth Environment and Climate Ministerial Meeting in the margins of UNGA, looking to strengthen collaboration between Commonwealth countries ahead of UNFCCC CoP28.

Measures to Drive International Progress

• £2.5 million to support the Joint Analytical Cell (JAC), which is a crucial initiative aimed at combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This substantial financial backing underscores the UK’s commitment to safeguarding marine ecosystems and promoting sustainable fishing practices.

• £120,000 in funding to Plymouth Marine Laboratory as the secretariat for the Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability (OARS) programme. Ocean acidification poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems, and this funding will contribute to efforts aimed at monitoring, mitigating, and adapting to this critical issue.

• A commitment to fund a project focused on the development of potential area-based management tools (ABMTs), such as Marine Protected Areas, in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This initiative aligns with efforts, such as the BBNJ Agreement, to enhance the conservation and sustainable management of marine areas of the global ocean, addressing a critical aspect of marine protection and sustainability. This project will draw on the important work that existing organizations have already carried out and recognize the need to collaborate closely with countries in regions where such proposals are to be developed.

• That it has welcomed Costa Rica, Panama, and Peru joining the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), a program funded by the UK’s Blue Planet Fund that supports countries in their ambitions to reduce plastic pollution.

In addition, the UK is resolutely focused on delivering the target to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 through a number of different actions such as welcoming the final Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) risk assessment framework, contributing £10 million towards the GBF fund and actively establishing both Marine Protected Areas

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 14: Life Below Water – The article discusses measures to address marine protection, illegal fishing, and ocean conservation.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – The article mentions efforts to tackle biodiversity loss on land and in the ocean.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – The article highlights the connection between climate change and biodiversity loss.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 14.5: By 2020, conserve at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.
• Target 14.7: By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism.
• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
• Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 14.5.1: Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas.
• Indicator 14.7.1: Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in Small Island developing States and least developed countries.
• Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index.
• Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning measures into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: gov.uk

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