Marine Plastics are destroying our Blue Economy

 Blue economy is a term that refers to all economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts and the interlinked benefits around biodiversity , coastal protection and its precious natural heritage. Indian Agriculture and its allied industries contribute to around 20% of India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product is the total value of goods and services produced in a country). The allied industry consists of forestry,
animal husbandry, natural resources and fisheries . The Blue economy directly linked to fisheries and ocean resources is estimated to contribute to around 4% of our GDP which is ~100 Billion USD (7 lakh crore INR). 

And why is the blue economy in focus ?

Typical ocean activities are around fisheries, tourism and maritime transport . Fisheries have harmed our oceans ; fish catches have gone down and 87 % of our fish stocks are over-exploited. Let us consider Aquaculture. Aquaculture refers to water farming, breeding, harvesting fish, shellfish, aquatic plants etc. is a growing economy critical to the food security of our poorest people. Aquaculture provides more than half of all fish consumed with 63%  of production in freshwater (mostly in ponds on land), 28% in marine waters, and 9% in coastal ponds.

To improve our blue economy , we need to accelerate our focus on emerging areas such as offshore renewable wind energy(ocean energy), marine biotechnology and Bioprospecting (usage of medicinal plants for healthcare).Not only will these prevent rapid degradation of our ocean resources but spur our governments and public sectors to invest and create new employment and development opportunities.

Looking at India’s projected population growth, such measures are needed for improving the social and economic status of our current and future generations. The picture below shows the importance of  ‘blue economy’ as the seventh largest contributor to our global economy.

Due to ineffective waste management of plastic on land , smaller particles of plastics called as Microplastics ends up in our oceans . A concerning fact is 80% of the debris in our oceans is from plastic .

A bigger problem is the volume of plastic pollutants from Textile, Tourism, Fishing and Shipping Industries . The table below summarizes the extent of marine pollution from these industries .

India’s Initiatives :

Though India has committed to a ban of single-use plastic by 2022 and uses about 14 million tons of plastic annually, there is a lack of an organized system for management of plastic waste . Blanket bans are ineffective as alternatives are not immediately available and so it is a multi-step process for phasing-out of plastics.

India has 7500 kilometers of coastline and has established national and regional campaigns to measure marine plastic footprint and take steps towards a plastic pollution free India. The Saaremaa program is a port modernization program to enhance the capacity of India’s ports and power the blue economy. Implementation of sustainable fisheries, conservation of biodiversity, enforcement of strict environmental laws with respect to pollution is a key aspect of Saaremaa but coastal industrialization programs have adverse impacts on marine ecology and strong alignment between governments, policy makers and engaged research scientists is need of the hour.

Blue Carbon is here to help ….

Mangroves are salt tolerant trees with inter-wining branches found along our coastlines and is known to store carbon, improve water quality and provide protection against floods and storms. Mangroves are super-hero trees and have an enormous capacity to suck up carbon-dioxide from air and covert to biomass in the form of thick, heavy layers of carbon-rich soil that stays waterlogged and does not rot . Promoting Mangroves along our coastal ecosystems and declaring them as protected and reserved forests is essential.

Technology to our rescue ….

A new study reveals that plastic-eating super enzymes can break-down plastics in a few days. Scientists are engineering a super plastic-eater by stitching together the DNA found from plastic eating bacteria into one enzyme that can breakdown plastic quickly . Nature’s most affected are several species of marine life and we humans must help save them. How quickly these solutions would come to the market and leveraged by our industries remains to be seen

Plastics impacting marine life- Seabird in picture

In conclusion…It is indeed disheartening to see slow progress of mega government projects, lack of governance by our local municipalities ,careless public attitude towards garbage disposal and the cleanliness levels of our localities and the sea of litter that often surrounds us. Strong governance and investment in technologies that help our natural habitats can accelerate our progress towards a cleaner society .

We are grappling with a world-wide problem and need to come together as a civil society and break the plastic wave that is endangering our planet. It is important to recognize that this marine pollution topic has cross-boundary impacts with global plastic supply chains and our careful consumer attitudes with respect to consumption and safe disposal of plastic products is key to a sustainable marine life.

How to build a sustainable blue economy that works for people and nature

 The Economist world ocean summit has always billed itself as a forum to focus on ocean health and sustainability. But when I first started attending the summit in 2012,which is online summit industry heavyweights were largely focused on how to extract more short-term value from the ocean economy. Sustainability was still seen as a side issue worthy, perhaps, but not essential.  When WW

F sounded the alarm in 2015 about the value at risk in the ocean economy US$2.5 trillion a year due to destructive practices and climate change, industry and policy types took note. Suddenly, the turtle huggers were speaking the language of banks and business risks, returns and natural capital in the form of mangroves, coral reefs and other habitats that do double duty as coast-defending infrastructure. Since then, we have relentlessly insisted that we must build a sustainable blue economy anything less actively undermines the well-being of both people and the planet. This week’s Economist World Ocean Summit is billed as the pre-eminent platform to debate challenges, share strategies and mobilize action to build a sustainable ocean economy. It promises opportunities to “explore the role the ocean plays in tackling climate change, enhancing biodiversity, protecting coastal communities, and restoring ecosystems.” We’re talking the talk. Now we must walk the walk.

Envisioning ocean ecosystems with people at the center

For as long as people have dwelled on coasts, we have been shaping ocean ecosystems. But for most of my career in ocean conservation, people were seen as separate from ocean ecosystems. Or, if we’re being honest, people were simply the problem. This bifurcated worldview, with people separate from nature, has pushed the ocean, climate and biodiversity to their very limits, while poverty, hunger and inequality still plague billions. I think it’s fair to say that worldview was woefully myopic. We need to correct our vision to recognize the intrinsic links between people and nature, the ocean and climate. Repairing the widespread damage to the ocean’s diversity and rebuilding the ocean’s life-support capacity requires targeted policies and investments to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities. Bringing communities into the center of global, regional and local efforts to build a sustainable blue economy is ethically the right and just approach. It is also simply essential if practical and effective interventions to deliver conservation are to succeed. Many coastal areas and small islands in the global South come under the stewardship of communities that are struggling with food security, viable livelihoods, health, education and safety. Expecting these same communities to deliver conservation without development assistance and the necessary investment to facilitate the trade-offs required is both unwise and unfair. Taking an equity and human rights approach to environmental issues is therefore fundamental if we are to achieve inclusive and resilient economic development. There is an ocean of opportunity for a nature-positive approach based on clean energy production and shipping, sustainable fishing and aquaculture, protecting key habitats like coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass, and creating opportunities for small-scale producers to participate fully and fairly in growing industries like seaweed farming. Marine protected areas also can be better leveraged to safeguard ocean assets, provide social dividends and underpin the blue economy. To make the most of these opportunities, we must reject certain other activities, such as deep seabed mining, oil and gas expansion, and overfishing ever deeper and farther from shore. But the debate about appropriate industries must not overshadow the most fundamental principle of a sustainable blue economy: people are at its center, and not just a few, to the exclusion of the most ocean-dependent and vulnerable. We need to see the ocean as a socio-ecological system, where principles of equity, inclusiveness and transparency, as well as ecological limits and function, underscore all aspects of decision-making.

Equity Ocean equity is about ensuring that benefits from ocean resources are available to all, respectful of traditional rights, particularly to those who are vulnerable, poor or marginalized, and that decent work is available to all. Ensuring equity requires us to embrace a broader range of values than simply economic growth in the assessment of the benefits from ocean assets. Prioritizing equity means assigning a high value to maintaining ecological functions, and providing nutritional security for vulnerable groups. Recognizing such social benefits allows assets to be reframed in terms of providing public health values and food security values, leading to a more holistic policy discourse around their allocation. Equity also means generating quality jobs and access to financial opportunities. This should extend to the diversification of livelihoods and income, building resilience to unanticipated changes.

Inclusivity

A key aim of inclusivity should be to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations to climate change, disaster impacts and environmental degradation. This means building social and institutional resilience, reducing poverty, delivering social protection programs and ensuring coming climate disasters don’t simply leave the poor poorer. There should be a focus on building women’s resilience to climate change and disaster impacts through greater access to technologies and finance, diversification of livelihoods, and increased participation in women-led solutions, among others. We must also pay particular regard to vulnerable and marginalized groups, focusing on youth, the elderly, and addressing disability inclusion.

Transparency

Public goods need to be managed in the public interest. Coastal habitats and coastal and ocean fish populations provide a range of protective and nourishing functions, which need to be optimized under an equitable and inclusive system. Today, much of the process of exploiting, distributing and profiting from the ocean’s resources is opaque. Communities have no seat at the table. There needs to be full transparency about economic activities and political decision-making involving the coastal zone. With proper political will, we can ensure taxes and fees are paid that properly value the resource used or impact, and close the loopholes that currently exist. When it comes to seafood, consumers are increasingly discerning and import markets are increasingly rigorous in requiring full transparency and traceability for products, with the goal of flushing illegal products, and products associated with human rights abuses, out of the system. Bottom line: The ocean is a public domain, and fair and sustainable governance requires we all know what is occurring across 70% of the Earth’s surface.

From Talk to Action

Each iteration of the World Ocean Summit has advanced the discussion about the centrality of the ocean to human well-being and economic development. This year, WWF colleagues are on panels focused on the investment tools needed to build the sustainable blue economy I’ve outlined above, and how nature-based solutions can mitigate climate change. Looking at the agenda, we clearly know the topics and issues we must tackle. When the week is over, I challenge the thousands of participants to turn a summit agenda into an action agenda, with people at the center of the sustainable blue economy.