Posted on February, 06 2004

Gland, Switzerland - Governments attending a major conference on the Convention of Biological Diversity in Kuala Lumpur next week must commit to increasing protection of endangered marine species and habitats, and to adequately financing these protected areas, said WWF today. 

WWF points out that while oceans and coasts provide multibillion dollar benefits to the world economy, only 0.5 per cent of their surface is protected. 
 
"Marine resources and habitats have never been as endangered as they are today," said Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s Endangered Seas Programme. "Governments continue to stall in using the Convention on Biological Diversity to protect the marine environment, despite the fact that scientific information consistently shows that marine protected areas can generate economic benefits, jobs and revenues for fisheries, coastal communities and the environment." 
 
According to WWF, oceans and coasts contribute to between 40–60 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Asia alone.

Recent WWF reports put the value of coral reefs to the world economy at nearly US$30 billion annually in goods and revenues, with Australia's Great Barrier Reef alone generating US$600 million.

The conservation organization also stresses that the global marine fish catch is worth $70–80 billion annually, providing food to people all over the world. Yet more than 75 per cent of the world’s fisheries are overfished, fished to their limit, or recovering from overexploitation. 
 
A new WWF report, Financing Marine Conservation, reveals 30 innovative financing mechanisms that could raise billions of dollars for marine conservation through contributions from various governmental programmes, donor agencies, and industry sectors.

The report identifies various financing sources such as: money from fishing subsidies — estimated at up to US$20 billion — for marine protection rather than unsustainable fishing practices; direct allocations from government budgets; conservation fees from tourism, for example from diving and cruise ship activities; and fines paid by the ocean's polluters.   
 
Marine conservation and protected areas are central themes for the Seventh Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD CoP7), where governments are expected to chart a course for protecting the marine environment over the next five years.

WWF is urging governments to commit to dramatically increasing the number and size of marine protected areas (MPAs) needed to meet a global target of 10 percent of the world’s oceans by 2012, set in the CBD programme of work. 
 
"Globally, setting up representative networks of marine protected areas could lead to millions in revenues for coastal communities and national economies from tourism and the replenishment of fisheries," said Brooks Yeager, Vice President of Global Threats with WWF-US. "It is unacceptable for governments to allow another five years to pass before committing to a global target on marine protected areas." 
 
For further information:
Peter Bryant
WWF Endangered Seas Programme
Tel: +41 79 477 35 60 (mobile) 
 
Olivier van Bogaert
WWF International Press Office
Tel: +41 79 477 35 72 (mobile)