SDG 14: Life below water

The first form of life on planet Earth was created in water. All of us who inhabit this world unquestionably depend on water.

Today, three quarters of the planet is covered by water and 97% of that water is in the oceans. It is estimated that oceans hold 1,332 million cubic kilometres of water and that we all depend on this water, not only the millions of species of plants and animals that live in them but all other beings.

Even those who live in high-rise flats in the centre of a big city from where they cannot see water from any window. Even they suffer the harsh consequences of ocean pollution.

Human ocean pollution seems to have no way back, and the effect it has on people is so real and obvious that there has even been time to carry out studies on its medium and long-term effects.

Pollution is responsible for around nine million deaths a year, huge economic losses, and, of course, degradation of ecosystems.

But where does the pollution in our oceans come from?

The Annals of Global Health states that it is a mixture of toxic metals, plastics, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, urban and industrial wastes, pesticides, fertilisers, pharmaceutical chemicals, agricultural wastes and sewage.

This contamination reaches humans mainly through the ingestion of contaminated marine animals. Once there, it can lead to nervous system damage, cancer risk, cardiovascular and digestive system diseases, infertility and problems in the development of the fetus.

Moreover, its impact on human health falls disproportionately on the most vulnerable populations in the southern hemisphere. Environmental injustice, some call it, since these countries, much less industrially developed, are the least polluting.

Oceans are home to some of the most diverse ecosystems and form an essential part of the economies of countries around the world. They also slow global warming and stabilise the climate thanks to microscopic organisms in the seas that are a major source of atmospheric oxygen and absorb more than 90% of excess heat released into the earth's environment and almost a third of carbon dioxide emissions.

All this is essential for our life to develop normally. And it is undoubtedly the ecosystem most affected at all levels by human action, as our actions have increased the temperature of the waters, causing them to acidify and, therefore, endangering thousands of species.

Also, the melting of the poles is a serious problem as it increases the water level in the oceans, causing, among other effects, coastal storms to become increasingly violent and endangering the 600 million people around the world who live less than 10 metres above sea level.

But not only this. Overexploitation of stocks, illegal fishing, as well as the hunting of certain species in some places cause ecosystems to become seriously out of balance.

During the pandemic, there was less exploitation of aquatic resources, but that is now far behind us, and today exploitation is once again overexploitation. The United Nations Development Programme estimates that it will take 10 to 15 years of reduced fishing to replenish depleted stocks.

The conclusion is that we can no longer wait for effective action and transformative, practical solutions for the oceans after the significant delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic in SDG 14. Only 8% of the ocean is currently protected, one third of fish stocks are overfished and climate change is increasing ocean acidification and deoxygenation. We have already explained that this threatens not only marine biodiversity, but also the livelihoods of millions of people.

Experts see the need for a global treaty on plastic pollution and a further expansion of marine protected areas, with the aim of having at least 30% of the oceans protected by 2030.

Another demand is an urgent end to harmful subsidies for fisheries, which amount to some $35 billion a year. Countries have been in negotiations for more than two decades, but now the issue has taken on new urgency as global fish stocks have continued to fall below sustainable levels. About 60 per cent of assessed stocks are fully exploited and 30 per cent are overexploited.