Representatives from the world’s leading environment and marine conservation NGOs met last weekend in Gstaad (Switzerland) to share programmes, ideas and initiatives for protecting the world’s oceans.
As part of an event co-hosted by the Bertarelli Foundation and the BLUE Marine Foundation, a group of marine biologists and international specialists evaluated the recent creation of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Chagos Archipelago, the world’s largest marine reserve with an area of over 500,000 square kilometers in the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The main theme for discussion between the experts was how to specifically manage the Chagos reserve, in particular how to get the most from this enormous no-fishing area for the Indian Ocean ecosystem. A number of questions were raised on how to make the Chagos MPA an international benchmark and case study to guide future actions towards the protection of the oceans, and how it could be replicated in the next few years to create other large Marine Protected Areas in some of the world’s most valuable marine ecosystems.
Overall, experts consider overfishing to be the largest cause for the depletion of marine resources and that, if the trend stays the same, by the middle of this century there won’t be any fish left in the sea. It is therefore imperative to create protected areas where ecosystems can regenerate and biodiversity can be maintained and encouraged. Today only 1% of the oceans are protected: the goal is to reach 10% in the next ten years through the creation of large marine reserves.
Several British overseas territories as well as the Mediterranean Sea and the Maldives are on the agenda for discussion.
The event in the Swiss Alps was co-organized by the BLUE Marine Foundation, a UK charity founded by the producers of Charles Clover’s film The End Of The Line. It featured marine expert Dr. Sylvia Earle, a National Geographic ambassador renowned for her work protecting the oceans, as the special guest, alongside representatives of leading organizations such as International Union for Conservation, Fauna & Flora International, Fish 2 Fork, Zoological Society of London, WWF International, Pew Charitable Trust, Chagos Conservation Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Changing Oceans, National History Museum, Mission Blue and National Geographic Society.
“This has been a terrific opportunity to exchange ideas and visions. With 70% of our oxygen coming from the seas it is of paramount importance that we care about the oceans. They are the life support system for human kind. To protect them we all need to contribute and the private sector’s involvement is imperative. We must thank BLUE and the Bertarelli family for what they are doing,” said Sylvia Earle.
The scientific workshop was followed by a fund-raising gala at the 100-year old Grand Hotel Park, recently reopened after renovation. Sponsored by Swiss jeweler Chopard, over 1.2 million Swiss Francs were raised for new projects to protect the oceans.
Dona Bertarelli, co-president of the Bertarelli Foundation, commented: “Meeting Sylvia Earle and organizing this workshop with leading experts from around the world has been the most enlightening experience. Marine reserves are not a choice but a necessity. What we do today has a direct effect on what the oceans will look like for our children. It is a social responsibility to raise awareness and resources to save the oceans and protect the blue heart of the planet for future generations.”