Ocean Conservation

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We believe that by identifying and studying key issues, proposing solutions, promoting broader social debates as well as multilateral and multidisciplinary exchange on key issues, we could support China’s constructive participation in the process of global ocean governance and playing a more active and leading role in global coordination and collaboration for the conservation of high sea biodiversity.

The ocean is the world's largest sink of carbon and source of oxygen. It regulats the global climate. It’s is the cradle of life, the origin of terrestrial ecosystems. It is an important resource for human development, which affords courage, legends and imagination. The ocean carries the routes of human civilization and the basis for the survival and development of humanity. All life enjoys the resources and services provided by the ocean at all times. We should care for the ocean as life depends on it. Because it does.


The high seas are the sea areas beyond of national jurisdiction defined by the human system. They account for 61% of the global ocean area, almost half of the Earth's surface area. The high seas contain complex and abundant marine life, including whales, sharks, penguins, seaturtles, and other well-known marine life, as well as important fishery species such as tuna, squid, and mackerel, as well as deep-sea creatures that are being discovered and the ones aren’t discovered yet. As an important part of the global commons, the healthy of the high seas depends on effective global governance and requires the collective wisdom and contribution of the international community. At the present time, the high seas are facing unprecedented challenges due to the impact of human activities, among which overfishing is the most direct threat. More than one-third of marine fishery species are overfished, and the number of tuna is less than 3% of its population before the exploitation. Climate change accelerates the occurrence of ocean warming, acidification and oxygen depletion, and it also threatens the habitat and food web of marine life. Most of the large marine organisms we know have become endangered species.


The protection of the high seas is to maintain the ability of the ocean to provide ecological services for all human beings by regulating some of the human economic activities on the high seas. Protecting the high sea is not a single-handed struggle of a few countries. It requires the collective wisdom and effort of all countries in the world. China, as a rising maritime power, will certainly make its due contribution to the international regime of high seas protection. As an non-profit environmental protection organization in China, through factual research and advocacy, Greenovation Hub is aiming to aggregate the thoughts and support from the Chinese society for China’s participation on the governance of the high seas.


Vision:

Healthy and abundant high seas.


Goals:

China leads the conservation of high sea biodiversity.


GHub’s work:

Greenovation Hub is committed to promoting ambitious and effective conservation of high seas biodiversity. We works to advance sustainable fishery and catalyze the building and effective management of science-based and representative marine protected areas (MPAs) by engaging experts in science, policy, law, business, academia and communications. We believe such approach could support China’ constructive and leading role in the processes of global ocean governance and collaboration.


At the beginning of the establishment of our ocean project, we continued to follow up on the negotiations to establish marine protected areas in The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and debates on responsible fisheries. In 2016, we began to follow the negotiation process of an international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of the Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). Moreover, we regularly publish the Antarctic Ocean Conservation Bulletin in China, held several cross-field seminars on cutting-edge topics, academic salons, and media training, as well as publishing reports including Why Should We Protect the Southern Ocean and Defending the Deep Blue—Perspectives on Marine Protected Areas In the High seas.