The importance of our oceans on our global health and environment, cannot possibly be understated. As actor and activist Jane Fonda told the AFP news agency, “if we lose the ocean, we lose ourselves.” This Government has already put forward different schemes in order to protect the maritime ecology around us; elsewhere, a new global treaty aims to strengthen international efforts already underway.
The people of our country have long enjoyed a harmonious relationship with the sea surrounding it. For millennia, generations of fishers have depended on all types of aquatic species, and incorporated them into our food, our culture and our daily lives. Whether it’s in our beaches, our swimming routines, or even simply crossing the channel to our sister islands, our people’s relationship with our waters has indeed defined our nation through the millennia.
It is also a relationship that is now, more under strain than ever.
Islands such as our own, currently find themselves on the frontlines in preserving the health of our oceans, and our marine biodiversity. The exacerbating effects of climate change will not only affect the livelihoods of this present generation, but also future ones. The livelihoods of so many of our citizens and communities, depend on world leaders taking concrete steps to preserve our natural heritage, for years to come.
We as a Government are doing our fair share in combating this international issue. We will continue to sustain marine research efforts through fisheries and aquaculture projects, both locally and through international programmes such as SIMTAP and the MEDSUMED initiatives. Such scientific undertakings can help innovate new tools and initiatives to help preserve both our marine environment, while making the most use of our existing maritime resources.
Furthermore, we recognise the direct contribution of our fishers. With initiatives such as the €1 million invested in the fuel scheme announced a few days ago, we will shore up further eco-friendly sources of food production, thus reducing our carbon footprint. By ensuring a future-proof fishing industry that utilises sustainable practices, we can pave forward a better future for all generations.
Efforts are also underway in the global socio-political scene. Right now, hundreds of delegates are currently in New York, seeking to end a two-week round of discussions. Representatives from 168 countries, including the European Union, are intent on finalising a new treaty, meant to preserve vast areas of the world’s oceans. This is the third time in twelve months that a round of talks on this treaty was held, no less than fifteen years after efforts started.
This long and arduous process, however, is seeing light at the end of the tunnel. This round of talks has been described by delegates as the “final and conclusive round,” with others nothing the “cautious and positive energy” underlining the discussions taking place.
As things stand, our high seas, extending further than the 370-kilometre delineation, still remain under threat. To put it simply, our efforts to preserve our coastlines, could be rendered useless if the high seas are also not robustly preserved.
Our country has a celebrated history when it comes to ocean presentation. The current legislation forming the bedrock of all global efforts on oceanic presentation, the 1982 UNCLOS Convention, was only possible because Malta had first tabled such a proposal to the United Nations all those years ago.
The role that our oceans play in climate change is two-fold. On one hand, the warming of our seas has posed a significant threat to all marine ecology. This has negatively impacted the livelihoods of both small-scale and global fishing industries, while causing significant downturn on several different economies. The latest reports by the World Economic Forum estimate that our oceans contain 60 times more carbon than the atmosphere. The more ice that melts in our oceans, the more carbon will be offset in our atmosphere, further worsening the climate crisis that the global community may face.
Our oceans are not merely a victim of climate change however; they are also a possible weapon. According to the MIT Centre for Global Change Science’s latest publication, the ocean is responsible for taking up 90% of the heat trapped in our atmosphere. To sustain this phenomenon however, the marine biodiversity found within our oceans must be able to regenerate sustainably. To be able to do this, then, we need to limit the volume of waste dumped in our oceans. Furthermore, we need to counter the acidification process currently taking place as well as adopt concrete actions for sustainable fisheries exploitation to ensure continued viability of such sectors.
Facing this myriad of issues, this new international treaty faces a daunting task. It must resolve numerous complex issues, while remaining an effective policy and strategy tool in the face of ever-changing circumstances. It must also ensure that regional problems, faced by small-scale enterprises such as our fishing industry, are tackled effectively and efficiently. To put things into perspective, our fishing industry in Malta is responsible for only 2% of the fishing effort (and the fish caught) within the Mediterranean Sea, a very small fraction that cannot unilaterally determine the sustainability of our fisheries without concrete action on the High Seas level by neighbouring countries.
“Positive energy” is the first step. Our people however demand and need concrete action. We will continue to promote further innovative solutions, for the betterment of all.