More Marine Action Plans

Following the blog about EU marine conservation strategy, we now have information about UN based strategy International scientists are making plans to create a network of marine parks in order to save the world’s oceans from fish stock depletion. This plan, supported by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) will be produced in 2008 in order to be implemented by 2012.

There are currently 100s of marine protected areas have been set up in the past 15-20 years. Of the 17 largest with most conservation potential, 15 are already at maximum exploitation levels or are depleting the level of their fish resource base. Scientists say new parks plan would strengthen the base of marine conservation, for example by preventing the over fishing that can decrease coral cover or deplete fish populations important for the coral reef ecosystem. The network would require a co-ordinated global effort, which would elevate the status of marine conservation.