Representatives of more than 120 countries gather from 23rd to 28th of October in Manila, the Philippines, to debate this issue. #cmscop12
Read the kick-off press release by OceanCare.
Press release
Danger zone OCEAN: plastic pollution and noise inferno threaten migratory marine species
12th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species to meet in the Philippines
Wädenswil/Manila, 20th October 2017. From 23rd to 28th of October, 2017, delegates of more than 120 countries gather in Manila, the Philippines, for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). The international marine conservation organisation OceanCare, official partner of CMS, calls on member states to step up their efforts against underwater noise, plastic pollution and hunting of aquatic animals, and to improve the conservation of marine migratory species.
CMS, also known as Bonn Convention, is a UN Agreement on animal species whose populations regularly cross national borders on their migrations, including migratory birds, terrestrial species like elephants and lions, and marine species such as cetaceans, sharks and turtles. The Agreement aims for close cooperation of relevant states who share a species’ range, which includes reproduction and foraging areas, as well as migration routes.
OceanCare will be represented at the conference in Manila by three experts. The organisation regards underwater noise and marine plastic pollution as the most pressing challenges for international cooperation to develop conservation measures. Another issue of great concern is the increasing hunt for marine species for human consumption, including cetaceans, sirenians, turtles and crocodiles, to compensate for declining fisheries resources in some regions of West Africa, South-East Asia and Latin America.
Incredible 10,000 kilometres:
This is the distance a humpback whale is covering every year between its foraging grounds and its reproduction area. Not only whales, but also marine turtles and other marine species are long-distance travellers. Mankind, however, actually a guest in the wet element, turned the oceans from a habitat into a danger zone. Nine million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year as a result of our increasingly excessive throwaway society – with deadly consequences for marine wildlife. Noise sources, for example airguns for petroleum exploration or military sonar to detect submarines, turn the oceans into a noise inferno, drive animals away from their migration routes or habitats, interfere with their communication and cause temporary hearing loss or even death. In addition, there is evidence that endangered species in coastal waters are increasingly over-harvested due to excessive industrial overfishing.
OceanCare demands solutions:
“We have to struggle everywhere with the effects of plastic pollution and work furiously on the rescue of animals entangled in plastic items. However, this has little effect if we cannot stop the influx of plastic waste entering the oceans in the first place”, says Fabienne McLellan, Director International Relations, and points to the numerous solution-oriented projects run by OceanCare, many of which also involve the private sector.
“When airguns for oil exploration emit explosive sound of up to 260 dB to the seafloor every 10 to 12 seconds for several weeks, the need for action is evident. We need stringent, comprehensive environmental impact assessment procedures in the approval process of noise-generating activities”, says Nicolas Entrup, marine noise spokesperson for OceanCare in cooperation with US-based organisation NRDC. Guidelines on such assessment procedures, developed by international experts, are presented at the conference for adoption.
“Sustainable fisheries management is crucial for restoring the subsistence of local fishing communities. We hope to cooperate on all levels, with government representatives, international fora, and above all local people, to restore the balance of the marine ecosystem and to efficiently protect endangered species from hunting”, says Joanna Toole, ocean policy consultant at OceanCare.
The OceanCare team at the conference – Nicolas Entrup, Fabienne McLellan and Joanna Toole – will regularly report about the course of events and also describe their personal impressions – see www.oceancare.org.
Further links and information:
• Media briefings, images, graphics and video footage: Dropbox Media CMS
• OceanCare website: www.oceancare.org/en/
• OceanCare blog: blog.oceancare.org
• Information about the conference: www.cms.int
• The slogan of the conference is “Their future is our future – sustainable development for wildlife and people”
• Follow discussions in social media: #CMSCOP12
Media contacts in Manila from 21st to 29th October 2017
(time difference CET +6h):
Nicolas Entrup, Ocean Policy Consultant at OceanCare and NRDC, M: (+43) 660 211 99 63,
nentrup@oceancare.org
Fabienne McLellan, Director International Relations at OceanCare, M: (+41) 79 456 77 07, fmclellan@oceancare.org
Joanna Toole, Ocean Policy Consultant at OceanCare, M: (+44) 797 1460 839, jtoole@oceacare.org
About OceanCare
OceanCare is a Swiss non-profit organisation. It was founded in 1989 and has a strong commitment to realistic and cooperative initiatives. The organisation works at national and international level in the areas of marine pollution, environmental changes, fisheries, whaling, sealing, captivity of marine mammals and public education.
OceanCare holds Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and is partner of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), and the UNEP/CMS Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS). OceanCare has also been accredited as a Major Group to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), which is the governing body of UNEP and is a part of the UNEP Global Partnership on Marine Litter.
