Island and Ocean Ecosystems
In June this year, the Pacific islands are amplifying their voice at the United Nations Ocean Conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water.
This Pacific Conversation raises the role of "blue" economic choices in supporting our Pacific Ocean value, providing you with more information to help make a difference in our region.
Did you know that if we had to pay for all ocean services, we'd have to spend over 20 trillion US dollars?
We probably cannot afford what the ocean gives us right now for free. For example, the ocean takes up CO2 for us, and the value of this hidden 'blue carbon' service is estimated at USD 60 to 400 billion per year.
Now, not all of ocean ecosystem services can be turned into money. Or, if some were turned into money, the value would decrease because they are not truly renewable resources. But if we lost those services, we would suffer a big cost.
Photo: R.Wright
At the same time, we earn a lot every year from using ocean resources, about USD 3 to 6 trillion. The smart choice is to make sure we can keep earning that money, for a long time. That means we need sustainability: the chance to continue into the future.
A "Blue Economy" is not just about using ocean resources, but about protecting and sustaining the ocean that provides the resources as well as the people who depend on them.
It's not a trade-off between making money and conserving environments, either. Conservation can actually increase the value we could earn from using ocean resources – by billions of dollars.
Thinking long-term means leaving enough fish to reproduce. It means leaving wetlands intact to protect and support the people in the houses and hotels near shore. It means taking the time to respond to environmental impact assessments and develop the best way.
When you protect the ocean from pollution, or toss the big female fish back, or plan not just for next year but also for the next decade and next generation, you are saving the ocean—and saving us too.
Help give voice to this Pacific Conversation – more about a Pacific blue economy can be found here.
Take time for two pages for the ocean: check out UNEP and SPREP Factsheets.
Join in the Pacific Conversation,
#SaveOurOcean #4PacIslands
This Pacific Conversation raises the role of "blue" economic choices in supporting our Pacific Ocean value, providing you with more information to help make a difference in our region.
Did you know that if we had to pay for all ocean services, we'd have to spend over 20 trillion US dollars?
We probably cannot afford what the ocean gives us right now for free. For example, the ocean takes up CO2 for us, and the value of this hidden 'blue carbon' service is estimated at USD 60 to 400 billion per year.
Now, not all of ocean ecosystem services can be turned into money. Or, if some were turned into money, the value would decrease because they are not truly renewable resources. But if we lost those services, we would suffer a big cost.
Photo: R.Wright
At the same time, we earn a lot every year from using ocean resources, about USD 3 to 6 trillion. The smart choice is to make sure we can keep earning that money, for a long time. That means we need sustainability: the chance to continue into the future.
A "Blue Economy" is not just about using ocean resources, but about protecting and sustaining the ocean that provides the resources as well as the people who depend on them.
It's not a trade-off between making money and conserving environments, either. Conservation can actually increase the value we could earn from using ocean resources – by billions of dollars.
Thinking long-term means leaving enough fish to reproduce. It means leaving wetlands intact to protect and support the people in the houses and hotels near shore. It means taking the time to respond to environmental impact assessments and develop the best way.
When you protect the ocean from pollution, or toss the big female fish back, or plan not just for next year but also for the next decade and next generation, you are saving the ocean—and saving us too.
Help give voice to this Pacific Conversation – more about a Pacific blue economy can be found here.
Take time for two pages for the ocean: check out UNEP and SPREP Factsheets.
Join in the Pacific Conversation,
#SaveOurOcean #4PacIslands