Ocean industries from around the world gathered recently at the United Nations in New York for the inaugural World Ocean Council (WOC) meeting to develop an unprecedented global alliance on sustainability.
UN Global Compact Executive Director, Georg Kell, and UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea Director, Vaclav Mikulka, opened the workshop. “The World Ocean Council efforts to bring together the global “ocean business community” to develop leadership and collaboration for ocean sustainability and stewardship are critical to the future of the oceans,” Mr Mikulka said. Participants from the shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, mining, maritime salvage and other ocean industries met to identify priorities and strategies for the WOC to create a global cross-sectoral industry coalition on sustainable seas. Paul Holthus, WOC Executive Director said that the extraordinary growth in ocean use was resulting in cumulative impacts to the marine environment at a global scale, perhaps even affecting the ocean’s crucial role in regulating climate. The industry representatives all stressed that the principle business driver for constructively addressing sustainability is reducing risk, especially the threat of losing access to ocean space or resources. The WOC will coordinate efforts to reduce risk and increase stable and responsible ocean use by facilitating industry engaging in international ocean policy processes and collaborating on practical solutions. Mike Boots, Director, Seafood Choices Alliance said that collective efforts to share responsibility for the sustainable management of the seas were essential. “The World Ocean Council is bringing together multiple sectors of ocean users to develop solutions that can lead to lasting improvements in ocean health," he said.
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