UK endorses Call to Action to protect the Oceans at Impac4, Chile
Statement by Ambassador Fiona Clouder at High-Level Meeting held in the framework of the International Marine Protected Areas Congress.
Fiona Clouder, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Chile.
Thank you Chile for hosting this inspiring international conference. At ‘Our Ocean’ conference, here in Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, in October 2015, HRH The Prince of Wales gave a video keynote address, highlighting the importance he personally places on ocean and environmental issues.
The work of The Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit – the ISU continues. In May 2017, together with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the ISU announced the launch of the new $2 million New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize. This calls for innovators, designers, scientists and entrepreneurs to help create packaging that keeps plastics out of the ocean.
Prince Charles is working together with His Serene Highness Prince Albert on a blue economy framework. Details will be announced in due course.
For our world of the future, we have to develop an integrated approach between the blue world – so essential for our planet – our green environment – and the realities of our brown environment – industrial and coastal infrastructure development. Developing overarching principles and financial tools, for a blue and integrated economy, will be crucial.
The Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit is working with many organisations to develop innovative financial instruments, including a Blue Bond, to help catalyse support for Marine Protected Areas.
The ISU is also working closely with Enric Sala, of the ‘Pristine Seas’ project and we have heard today Enric’s clear advice on actions for the future
The UK is at the forefront of marine protection through its ambitious Blue Belt programme and is on track to deliver over 4 million square kilometres of protected ocean around the UK and the UK Overseas Territories.
Domestically we have been working hard to deliver a network of MPAs in UK waters, covering 23% of the UK maritime area.
Across the UKOTs we had already begun protecting important areas for marine conservation. We have worked in CAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) to designate a no take MPA off the coast of the British Antarctic Territory; a no-take MPA was declared in British Indian Ocean Territory; and a sustainable use MPA has been declared in South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
During 2016 the UK Government announced the designation of a no-take marine protected area in the Pacific around Pitcairn Island; a sustainable use MPA around St Helena in the mid-Atlantic; and committed to a no-take zone covering 50% of the waters around Ascension Island; and a well-managed area within Tristan da Cunha waters, by 2020.
Declaring MPAs is one thing. Monitoring and protecting MPAs, another. The UK Government is committing up to £20 million to support the scientific assessment, implementation, management, monitoring and surveillance of these areas, and will facilitate access to technical expertise, practical surveillance and technology solutions to ensure MPAs are backed up by robust data, legislation and enforcement.
We are keen to share ideas and experiences and to develop international collaboration in meeting the challenges of MPAs and the future of the ocean.
The domestic designations and those across the UKOTs will make a significant contribution towards the target to protect 10% of the world’s coastal and marine areas by 2020.
The UK is delighted to be able to support and sign the Call for Action, a significant output from the hugely successful IMPAC4.
I made a speech earlier this week – ‘Ocean of Truth’ - It is time we faced up to the truth of the importance of the ocean – for our world, our humanity and our future.