Most of the marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world, estimated to number about 5000, have been established both on an ad hoc basis and through systematic planning processes. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) requires that Party states establish, by 2012, comprehensive, effectively managed, and ecologically representative national and regional systems of protected areas, and that there should be effective conservation of at least 10% of each of the world's ecological regions by 2010. Many countries have established their own national targets which provide an incentive for the introduction of a systematic conservation planning approach to the establishment of MPAs, and there are now many initiatives to develop ecologically representative MPA networks (UNEP-WCMC, 2008, p. i).
7 Feb 2019 - IOC-UNESCO reports that the indicator methodology on how to conduct ocean acidification observation has been developed and trainings have begun on how to apply the methodology.
8 Nov 2018 - UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson, says that MPAs need to increase well beyond 10% and improve their management and enforcement policies.
11 Sep 2017 - The Equator Prize Award Ceremony on September 17, 2017 will honour 15 outstanding indigenous and local community initiatives from 12 countries, advancing local nature-based s
30 Aug 2017 - Robust measures are needed to tackle eutrophication, environmental toxins, littering and other threats against Sweden’s lakes, seas and coastlines.
24 Aug 2017 - The Caribbean is heavily dependent on tourism and other marine services, industries that the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPPC) last report indicate are expected to be heavily impacted by climate change.
23 Aug 2017 - Portugal is next month to sign cooperation agreements with other Portuguese-language countries and with Mediterranean and North Atlantic countries on the oceans, covering applied research programmes, ocean clean-up and sustainable fishing, the minister for the sea, Ana Paula Vitorino, announced on Tuesday.
18 Aug 2017 - The President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, will ring the Opening Bell of the Nasdaq Stock Market at its MarketSite Headquarters in Times Square, New York, on Monday, 21 August 2017 at 9:30 am EDT, to raise awareness on the urgency of measures required to improve the health of the Ocean.
9 Aug 2017 - PARTNERSHIP is one of the cornerstones for successfully implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).