Page 6 - Norway export Seafood, Fishing&Aquaculture 2018-19

2018 is the year of the ocean

The oceans have huge potential when it comes to meeting the world’s need for resources
and creating jobs, and economic and social development. We will not be able to realise
this potential without sustainable growth in ocean-based industries.

Estimates show that ocean-based The oceans are important Conservation is
industries could more than double their for sustainable development investing in our future
contribution to the world economy by Norway has considerable expertise on As we develop and grow a new ocean
2030. Ocean economies alone may ocean issues, which means that we can economy, many people think that we
create 40 million jobs globally by 2030. make an important contribution in this area. stand before a hard choice between
We want to further sustainable growth and production and conservation. Using our
Furthermore, the growing global share Norway’s experience of combining oceans to produce food, energy and jobs
population means that the world needs conservation and use of marine resources. is important, and that means that we
more resources and services from the must work even harder to fi ght pollution,
oceans, such as food, energy, medicines, Norway will be the fi rst government waste and over-fi shing as we step up
minerals and transport. sponsor of the new UN Global Compact research and innovation and discover
Business Action Platform on Oceans. In unknown species and develop new ones.
If we want to be able to realise the addition to this, Norway recently launched
potential that lies in the oceans, we need plans for a High-level Panel on Building a With sustainable management we
policies and tools that promote economic Sustainable Ocean Economy. can harvest the riches of the sea without
development while taking ecological reducing their value. Using the oceans
limits and climate change properly into The High-level Ocean Panel will deliver sustainably will not only pay off. It could
account. a report on the importance of the ocean be the smartest investment we ever
economy for sustainable development. make.
Combatting marine litter Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg will
We have several challenges to adress. chair the ocean panel, which will be made
Climate change and overexploitation of up of heads of state and government from
the environment and natural resources, a broad range of coastal states, including
such as pollution and overfi shing, are developing countries.
creating enormous problems. Every year a
staggering 12 million tonnes of plastic end The panel will work closely with the UN
up in the ocean. This simply has to stop. and engage with other international
initiatives in this fi eld. The work will
Norway has taken action at an commence in the fi rst half of 2018, and will
international level to combat marine litter continue until 2020.
and microplastics. I am happy to state
that a resolution put forward by Norway The high-level ocean panel is a concrete
was passed at the UN Environment contribution towards the UN Sustainable
Assembly in December, on the long- Development Goals, and the intention
term elimination of discharge of litter and behind this initiative is to increase
© Paul Paiewonsky.
microplastics to the oceans. international awareness.
Although many others are also pushing Sustainable use of the oceans and the
the issue of marine litter to the top maintenance of good environmental status
of the agenda, we need even closer can lead to signifi cant value creation, and
international cooperation to combat this can enable us to meet some of the world’s Per Sandberg
huge and growing problem. most vital needs in the years to come. The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries.

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