Page 54 - BILANCIO DI SOSTENIBILITÀ 2017 RISULTATI E PROSPETTIVE

SEA ENVIRONMENT 53
the danger it posed to marine life. tangibly to their preservation. The
During the cruise the researchers also Corporation began providing funding in
arranged seminars and talks for the 2014 (with a US$2.5 million financial
tourists on board, illustrating their commitment) and the program has
work, the main results and the impact enabled the creation of a series of
of current fishing industry practices innovative tools and the identification of
on biodiversity. Again, the ultimate key resources to support decision-making
aim of these scientific dissemination processes and determine investments
activities was to help raise awareness of in coastal areas. The Mapping Ocean
the threats to the marine environment Wealth tool provides a critical mechanism
stemming from unsustainable fishing to understand and explore specific
and other destructive practices. ecosystem services and use this is a basis
The oceans supply half of the essential for the correct allocation of funding
oxygen for the planet, provide in order to maximize societal benefits.
sustenance for millions of people around Without this, the definition of restoration
the world and consequently have a planning activities and, above all, priorities
significant impact on coastal economies. for intervention would not be possible.
The support of Carnival Corporation The support for the Ocean Wealth
for the Mapping Ocean Wealth project Mapping initiative has already yielded
managed by The Nature Conservancy, critically important and new datasets
one of the world’s most important about the economic, social and cultural
ecosystem conservation organizations, values of coastal and marine habitats
stems from the desire to contribute for countless kilometers of coastline.
MARINE POLLUTION AND
THE THREAT TO BIODIVERSITY
Marine pollution is one of the critical issues of the UN’s 2030 Agenda, with one of the goals being devoted to
this subject and to the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. Problems
include the reduction of biodiversity and the deterioration of coastal waters owing to pollution, especially
plastic pollution.
Around three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. Marine fisheries directly
or indirectly employ hundreds of millions of people, often providing sustainable livelihoods for entire coastal fishing
communities.
Oceans absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans.
As much as 40% of the world’s oceans are heavily affected by human activities, including pollution, depleted fisheries,
and loss of coastal habitats.
20% of the world’s coral reefs are lost, 24% are degraded and at risk of imminent collapse and a further 25% face a
threat for their long-term survival.
The Mediterranean Sea has lost 41% of its marine mammals and 34% of the total fish population in the last 50
years , largely due to overfishing.
7
Every year approximately 10 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the oceans, feeding huge garbage patches, where
tiny bits of plastic are trapped together by the currents, forming large islands of rubbish - the Pacific ‘trash vortex’
accounts for an area as large as Turkey.
The mobilization called for by the UN is particularly challenging, especially as regards financing biodiversity protection.
The Convention on Biological Diversity estimates that an initial outlay of around $32 billion is required followed by annual
funding to the tune of about $21 billion for effective climate change mitigation using currently available technology. This is
a necessary investment considering that continuing with ‘business-as-usual’ policies would result in loss and damage costing
as much as €200 billion a year. The UN recommends a multi-stakeholder framework, especially as regards protection of the
most vulnerable areas. This includes major roles both for scientific research - aimed at understanding and therefore better
predicting the dynamics of marine and coastal ecosystems - and, more importantly, for the transformation of production
and consumption models.
One of the most urgent questions is the exploitation of marine fauna and flora; indeed, the growing demand for fish and
fish products is gradually outstripping supply while overfishing means that many of the world’s fish species are either
fully exploited or depleted. Another less evident but no less deadly threat to marine life is ocean acidification from burning
fossil fuels; acidification is another effect of pouring carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as the gas dissolves in seawater
to produce weak carbonic acid. The result is that the increasingly acid seas are becoming more hostile to vital marine life.
Awareness of the need to address these issues is an important first step on the path to more eco-friendly, sustainable
practices on the part of all stakeholders - particularly businesses. A shared approach is required with a joint commitment to
limiting marine pollution and combating climate change. This is a truly global challenge that demands a global response.
7 Source: ISMAR (Institute of Marine Sciences) - CNR (Italian National Research Council).