Towards a Blue Society,
An Ocean of opportunities
Philippe VALLETTE
Co-President, World Ocean Network
General Manager, Nausicaá
Where are we today?
OUR OCEAN PLANET:
The current Situation
FINITE MARINE RESOURCES
Overexploitation : 80 % of fish stock over exploited or fully
exploited
Some stocks – like the North Atlantic Cod – will not recover
FINITE SPACE
Pollution without borders
Everything winds up in the sea
80 % of marine pollution comes from the
land
Dead zones drift away far from the coasts
UPSETTING THE OVERALL BALANCE
OCEAN AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Global ocean has warmed up to a depth of 3 000 m
Sea level is rising 1,8 mm/year threatening coasts and islands
Absorbing more CO2, ocean is becoming more acid
SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT
The difficulties encountered
SHARING BENEFITS AND RESOURCES is becoming less
equitable due to the way our societies
have developed
•
Resource access and consumption modes 20% population use 80% resources.
•
Effects of environmental disturbance and
loss of natural resources are stronger on
the population in poor countries.
•
Humankind consumes many resources and
produces much waste - some economists estimate
that we could produce the same quantity by using
80% less energy
•
Inadequate governance and management modes
•
Population explosion of our species leading to
growing needs to ensure our survival
SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT
Changing our vision
Unfortunately, all of that is true!
But we can also consider the
situation another way,
a more positive way.
OCEANS OF OPPORTUNITY …
Our life-support system on Earth
THE OCEAN : essential services
•
1-50 million undiscovered marine life
forms
•
97% of the Earth’s water is in the sea
•
50% of the oxygen we breath is
produced by ocean plankton, which is
more than all the tropical forests in
the world
•
The ocean regulates gases, limits
climate change
•
The ocean provides essential
ecological services : regulation,
protection, preserving vitality of
ecosystems, nutrients recycling…
OCEANS OF OPPORTUNITY …
Our life-support system on Earth
THE OCEAN : essential resources
•
•
60% of the food of tropical
developing countries comes from
the sea
Over 1 billion people rely on fish
and other seafood as their
primary energy source of animal
protein
•
Ocean resources have been valued at
$21 trillion (terrestrial $12 trillions)
•
80% of Earth’s mineral resources are
estimated to be in the sea
•
50% of pharmaceutical anti-cancer
arsenal comes from marine organisms
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
In the last ten years, our vision on the
Ocean planet has changed
•The role of ocean in climate regulation, as well as the role of
marine biodiversity in our planet’s resilience have been better
understood,
• Pollution from the land has been recognized as a priority issue,
• Services provided by marine ecosystems have been evaluated
and priced,
• Marine protected area networks have been developed,
• Awareness on the need to better manage living marine
resources has improved
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
In the last ten years, many things
have started to change
• New resources from sustainable tourism in marine protected
areas
• Mangrove and coral restoration to protect coast from the effect
of extreme weather event, rising tides
• Integrated coastal management
• Development of renewable energy
• Marine resource management with involvement of local
communities…
TOWARDS THE BLUE SOCIETY
These examples are only a few among
many positive initiatives that show the
necessity to integrate systematically
social, economy, environment and
culture in order to maintain
geographical equity and time equity.
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
But now we must take a new turn!
We are today in a very exciting moment of the story of
humankind: we need to reinvent the world. This means
that what we have to do is to think out of the box.
200 years ago, at the beginning of the industrial
revolution, we could not imagine that our activities could
change the great balance of our planet. Now we know
that we must take in account the fact that our planet is a
limited world, with limited resources.
And we, the ocean community, are convinced that an
important part of the solution will come from the sea.
WHAT IS A BLUE SOCIETY?
A new ambitious vision of society in a
spirit of sustainability, well-being and
equity.
A new economic, social and
technological approach based on the
tremendous opportunities offered by the
Ocean for new resources, innovative
solutions and positive experiences.
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
Let’s imagine…
• A boat using the energy of the waves for
propulsion
• A reactor using microalgae to extract
CO2 from the atmosphere
• New sources of renewable energy
produced by differences of temperature
in seawater
• More medicines to heal cancer and other diseases
extracted from marine organisms
• Seawalls made out of corals to protect coasts from
waves
• Marine bacteria discovered to recycle and purify
polluted water and waste…
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
The concept of Blue Society takes into account the entirety of
demands related to sustainability from:
• An ecological point of view: sustainable management to ensure
ecosystems’ resilience and functioning
• An economic point of view: economic aspects and value of
biodiversity and ecosystem services
• A political point of view: effective governance of the ocean
AND also :
• A social point of view: so that ocean resources and services are
shared by all in a spirit of equity for sustainable livelihoods
• A cultural point of view: integration and appropriation by all
citizens of the Ocean in their daily lives and culture
Towards a Blue Society, we have to implement many more
initiatives by a global mobilization of all actors.
14
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
Components
Economy
Investing in new
opportunities,
innovation &
sustainable
activities
Society
Promoting well-being
& equal access to
services
& resources
Environment
Preserving
ecosystems
and their potential
Space equity
Time equity
Developing
geographical balance
in access & use of
marine resources
Managing the means
of subsistence for
inhabitants of today &
generations to come
Governance
Fostering good ocean governance
BLUE SOCIETY
Oceans of new opportunities for all
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
Components
Economy
Investing in new
opportunities,
innovation &
sustainable
activities
Society
Promoting well-being
& equal access to
services
& resources
Environment
Preserving
ecosystems
and their potential
Culture
Developing common
understanding & and
integrated vision
Space equity
Time equity
Developing
geographical balance
in access & use of
marine resources
Managing the means
of subsistence for
inhabitants of today &
generations to come
Governance
Fostering good ocean governance
BLUE SOCIETY
Oceans of new opportunities for all
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
Empowering all actors
Foster
research and
innovation
Sea for Society
Innovating, sharing,
multiplying and
exchanging positive
experiences and good
practices around the world
will allow the development
of a "Blue Society".
Mobilize politics
and decisionmakers
Global Ocean Forum,
Ocean days
Engage the public
and the civil
society
World Ocean
Network,
Islands projects
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TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
The ocean is one of the
main solutions to get out
of the global crisis that
we currently live.
Let us not waste this chance.
Let us believe again in progress.
TOWARDS A BLUE SOCIETY
Oceans
Oceans
Oceans
Oceans
of
of
of
of
opportunities…
new ideas…
partnerships…
actions…
Please join!
Thank you
World Ocean Network
c/o Nausicaá, Centre National de la Mer
Boulevard Sainte Beuve – BP 189 –
62203 Boulogne-sur-Mer Cedex France
Tel.: +33 (0) 3 21 30 99 93 – Fax: +33 (0) 3 21 30 93 94
www.worldoceannetwork.org
info@worldoceannetwork.org