Over the course of humanity's efforts to handle the major global threats posed by climate change and to try to find countermeasures, we have also discovered that the health of oceans plays a critical role in this process.

The ocean accounts for about 72% of the world's total surface area. It is the origin of the countless species on Earth, and is also inextricably linked to human life. We rely on the ocean for everything from food to transportation and climate regulation. The ocean stores the Earth's heat and regulates climates. Healthy oceans help create a livable Earth and mitigate climate anomalies. However, humanity has long forsaken the health of oceans and in favor of economic development. In the process of pursuing civilization and progress, humans have plundered marine resources, overexploited fish stocks, and even ignored the discharge of garbage and wastewater, which harm marine life. Humans do whatever they want for economic growth and convenience have gradually taken life away from the blue oceans, which were so full of life. Although the oceans are not as bad as described in Frank Schätzing's novel The Swarm, where the oceans themselves became intelligent and hunt humans, the imbalance of the marine ecosystem has evidently resulted in a ruthless backlash against humans in the form of climate anomalies.

To increase global awareness of ocean issues and encourage real action, the United States launched the first "Our Ocean Conference" (OOC) in 2014. The main purpose of the conference was to provide opportunities for governments, enterprises, and scientific research institutions to establish partnerships with citizen groups to share knowledge and technologies, and expand their financial support to address ocean threats. During the conference, participating parties exchanged and discussed topics such as threats to the oceans, the impact of climate change on the oceans, marine pollution, sustainable fisheries, food security, blue economy, and healthy oceans. Through the OOC, entities across the world have made more than 2,160 commitments on ocean issues, and invested approximately US$130 billion in development funds.

As a maritime country, Taiwan cannot be absent from these efforts. At the 9th OOC held in Athens, Greece this year, Taiwan actively supported the six major areas of action proposed by the conference with practical actions and specific commitments. These areas included climate change, marine protected areas, sustainable blue economy, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, and maritime security. In addition to hosting the "Global Collaboration Forum on Marine Protected Areas", Taiwan also actively participated in on-site peripheral meetings, talks and other related activities.

To discuss the aforementioned ocean-related issues, this issue focused on "Observations on Our Ocean Conference 2024" and reviewed the results of the OOC from its launch in 2014 to the current initiative. It also invited experts and academics to conduct in-depth analyses on issues such as marine waste, sustainable fisheries, and marine conservation areas discussed at the conference this year.

The special report in this issue was titled "Observation of the Our Ocean Conference - Exclusive Interview with President Jiahn-Horng Chen of the National Academy of Marine Research and Deputy Secretary General Alex L. J. Shyy of the TaiwanICDF". We interviewed President Jiahn-Horng Chen of the National Academy of Marine Research and Deputy Secretary General Alex L. J. Shyy of TaiwanICDF and invited them to share their first-site observations from participating in the OOC as well as their views on how Taiwan will continue to promote maritime- related affairs in the future to align with international standards.

The famous explorer Christopher Columbus once said, "You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore." This quote has inspired humans to constantly challenge the ocean and the struggle it incited left both sides scarred. Through the articles in this issue, we hope that readers will gain awareness of the current global discussions on ocean issues and think about how to achieve a harmonious and symbiotic balance between ocean conservation and the development of human civilization, and how to achieve this through international cooperation and share Taiwan’s experience in marine conservation with the international community.

Summaries

The Challenges and Opportunities of International Development and Cooperation in the "Our Ocean Conference"

(Michael C. Huang, Senior Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Research Institute, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation)

This paper starts with a review of the history of the "Our Ocean Conference". In addition      to compiling the projects and funds committed each year, it also explores the importance of the continuously reorganizingthis conference into a global discussion platform for marine protection, and observes the developments in the 9th "Our Ocean Conference" held in Greece in 2024, with the aim of outlining the marine protection policies of different countries in the future. It  then discusses the lessons learned from the "Our Ocean Conference" as the world engages in international development assistance work. It also uses the implementation of foreign aid projects by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the TaiwanICDF as a case study to explain how international aid agencies can provide assistance for international marine protection. Finally,  it suggests that when the TaiwanICDF implements foreign aid projects in the future, it aims to strengthen cooperation with like-minded countries on the existing basis, consolidate their strengths to achieve greater results, and help Taiwan shoulder its responsibilities as a true maritime country.

New Strategies for Global Marine Waste Management: Cooperative Prospects between Taiwan and the International Community

(Ning Yen, CEO of IndigoWaters; Jason Hu, Research Director of IndigoWaters)

As the marine waste has become a global issue, the international community has taken a number of measures to face this challenge. Since marine waste has been first mentioned in an international convention in the 1970s, the international legal framework has been gradually strengthened, which is exemplified in the 2011 Honolulu Strategy for setting a comprehensive global framework for marine waste management. This paper uses the international cooperation between Japan and South Korea in marine waste management as an example, to show the importance of transnational cooperation in solving marine waste problems. Finally, Taiwan can utilize its professional knowledge and technology in plastic circular economy and marine waste management to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN and South Asian countries through the New Southbound Policy, which will improve regional environmental management and promote both economic and environmental development. These cases of collaboration provide technical and strategic support to the region as well as feasible actions for global marine waste management.

Building Science-Based Sustainable Fisheries Partnerships

(Chun-Pei Liao, Assistant Researcher, Traceability Certification and Inspection Center, National Taiwan Ocean University; Fan-Hua Nan, Distinguished Professor and Vice President of National Taiwan Ocean University)

The parties announced a total of 469 ocean sustainability actions and a total commitment of US$11.3 billion in the 2024 "Our Ocean Conference". On the issue of fishery sustainability, Greece announced that it will establish two new marine protected areas and achieve a 30% conservation goal by 2030. It will gradually ban bottom trawling and revoke all seine fishing licenses. The EU is focusing on preventing and combating IUU fishing, carrying out multi-functional marine spatial planning, and devote in strengthening marine-related scientific and technological investment  in Africa. The United States is paying close attention to the funding of various commitments, strengthening its presence in the Pacific Islands Countries, and cultivating young leaders with blue governance skills. Taiwan has considerable experience and developed technologies in aquatic product production, marine data construction, fishery resource assessment, fishery management, ecological monitoring, and ocean carbon sink research. In terms of supporting the potential of sustainable fisheries in allied countries, we should support capacity building for sustainable fisheries, strengthening science-based sustainable fisheries management strategies, and using co-design and co-delivery to enhance the management of sustainable fisheries, demonstrating Taiwan’s influence in the field of sustainable fisheries, and highlight Taiwan’s capabilities and commitment in blue governance.

The 30x30 Global Target for Marine Protected Areas and the Challenges

(Kwang-Tsao Shao, Emeritus Chair Professor at National Taiwan Ocean University and National Sun Yat-sen University; Former Acting Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica)

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are the simplest, most economical, and most effective method of marine conservation. It comprehensively protects marine biodiversity, facilitates sustainable  use of fishery resources, and creates endless business opportunities for blue industries through biotechnology with genetic resources and eco-tourism. In recent years, scientists have identified the "blue carbon" and "fish carbon" functions of marine protected areas as the best "Nature-based Solution" (NbS) for addressing the impact of climate change.

Therefore, both the 2010 Aichi Targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a target for increasing the area ratio of marine protected areas to 10% (10x20) by 2020, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) set a target of 30% (30x30) by 2030. The OOC meetings in recent years have also listed marine protected areas as a major agenda item. To achieve this goal, we must promote the designation of protected areas on the high seas and include "Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs)" in calculations. In addition, effective management of protected areas must be implemented to address the problems of rapid loss of marine biodiversity and unsustainable use of fishery resources.

• 更新日期: 2024/07/02
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