CANBERRA/MANILA (Xinhua): The global goal to protect 30 per cent of the world's oceans by 2030 will not be sufficient to ensure the survival of marine megafauna such as whales, sharks, turtles, and seals, international scientists have warned.
An international study has mapped the world's most critical ocean habitats for marine megafauna, revealing that even ambitious global protection targets will fall short of safeguarding these threatened species, according to a release from the Australian National University (ANU) on Friday.
In December 2022, the Convention on Biological Diversity parties agreed to conserve 30 per cent of Earth's land and seas by 2030, but the United Nations Environment Program notes that biodiversity is unevenly protected: while a quarter of ecological regions meet the 30 pe rcent target, some have no coverage, leaving many species and ecosystems insufficiently conserved.
The UN-endorsed MegaMove project, involving nearly 400 scientists from over 50 countries, tracked more than 100 marine megafauna species to identify where conservation efforts should focus, the release said.
The study, published in Science, found that only 8 percent of oceans are currently protected and warns that the UN High Seas Treaty's 30 per cent target, though supported by 115 countries, will not fully safeguard key habitats for threatened marine giants.
ANU Associate Professor Ana Sequeira, the study's lead author and MegaMove founder, explained that the research mapped areas where marine megafauna engage in essential behaviors such as foraging, resting, and migration.
These species serve as top predators with crucial roles in marine ecosystems but face mounting threats from human activities, she said.
"We found that the areas used by these animals overlap significantly with threats like fishing, shipping, warming temperatures, and plastic pollution," Sequeira said, adding the 30-percent protection goal is helpful but not enough, so further measures are needed to reduce threats beyond protected areas.
The study identifies specific mitigation measures beyond protected areas, including modifications to fishing gear, different lighting systems in nets, and ship traffic management schemes. - Xinhua
