On World Oceans Day on June 8th, people around the world celebrate the ocean.
This year’s theme: Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.
World Oceans Day has been celebrating the ocean on June 8th every year since 2002. And while Covid-19 and social distancing are changing how we recognize our blue planet this year, the need for action is perhaps more important than ever
We are in need to find innovative solutions to tackle major ocean challenges, such as overfishing, climate change and plastic pollution. Leading scientists worldwide have determined that we need to protect at least 30% of our blue planet by 2030. Do you know the MPA’s in Jamaica?
How much of the ocean is protected?
Based on the data of the Atlas of Marine Protection, today, only 5.3% of the world’s oceans are protected in implemented and actively managed marine protected areas. Approximately half of that, or 2.5%, of the ocean is highly protected in no-take marine reserves.
Click on the map below if you like to use the interactive map.
Socio-Economic Benefits of Marine Protected Areas
MPAs play a key role in the protection of marine biodiversity and ecosystems. As with terrestrial protected areas, this is the principal objective of their establishment. They can help to maintain and improve the provision of a wide range of ecosystem services and related socio-economic benefits provided by coastal and marine ecosystems. By maintaining and enhancing the wide range of benefits provided by marine ecosystems in the long term, designation and good management of MPAs can improve not only livelihood opportunities and income for different categories of stakeholders, but also provide other less tangible benefits linked to the sense of importance of marine and coastal ecosystems to wider society.
MPA's in Jamaica
