ВТУ “Св. св.

Кирил и Методий” Катедра Икономическа теория и

Стопански факултет Международни икономически отношения

Life Below Water

Livia Golubenco
International economics
e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract
The oceans are essential for humanity. Today the oceans are degrading. One cause is fishing, which is
overexploited. World fish consumption has grown faster than the population. Another acute cause is the
pollution of the oceans with carbon dioxide produced by humans. However, major preventive measures are being
taken. ODD seeks to manage and protect sustainably pollute marine and coastal ecosystems, as well as address
the impact of ocean acidification.

Keywords: ocean; fishing; marine pollution; maritime protection.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be
a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all".[2]
The SDGs, set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and intended to be achieved
by the year 2030.

The goal "life below" is part of SDG and it has the task to conserve and sustainably use the
world’s oceans, seas and marine resources.

Healthy oceans and seas are essential to our existence.

Their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth
habitable for humankind.
Oceans provide key natural resources including food, medicines, biofuels and other
products. They help with the breakdown and removal of waste and pollution, and their coastal
ecosystems act as buffers to reduce damage from storms. Maintaining healthy oceans supports
climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. And have you been to the seaside? It’s also
a great place for tourism and recreation.
Even more, Marine Protected Areas contribute to poverty reduction by increasing fish
catches and income, and improving health. They also help improve gender equality, as
women do much of the work at small-scale fisheries. The marine environment is also home to
a stunning variety of beautiful creatures, ranging from single-celled organisms to the biggest
animal ever to have lived on the Earth–the blue whale. They are also home to coral reefs, one
of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
Yet, we have managed to do tremendous damage to these precious resources. We must
protect them by eliminating pollution and overfishing and immediately start to responsibly
manage and protect all marine life around the world.

Over 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.

Студентска кръгла маса на тема: „Съвременни предизвикателства пред международната икономика:

постигнат напредък по глобалните цели за устойчиво развитие на ООН“ – 15.05.2020 г.
 ВТУ “Св. св. Кирил и Методий” Катедра Икономическа теория и
Стопански факултет Международни икономически отношения

However, today we are seeing 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks overexploited, reaching
below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.
Fishing and the cultivation of fish and shellfish from the oceans is not a new idea.
At firstglance, the world seems well supplied with fisheriesbecause oceans cover
three-fourths of the earth. However, fish provide a very small proportion—about1%—of
the world’s food supply. World fish consumption has increased more rapidly than the
population. Over the past 30 years, the total tonnage of fish caught by commercial fishing
fleets has leveled off and declined as a result of overfishing. Overfishing has been particularly
acute in the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Countries such as Iceland and Peru, whose
economies rely heavily on fishing, are sensitive to the overfishing problem. Peru’s catch of its
principal fish, the anchovy, has declined by over 75% because of overfishing. The Peruvian
experience demonstrates that the ocean is not a limitless fish resource.

Oceans also absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by humans, and we
are seeing a 26 percent rise in ocean acidification since the beginning of the industrial
revolution. Marine pollution, an overwhelming majority of which comes from land-based
sources, is reaching alarming levels, with an average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter to be
found on every square kilometer of ocean.
Plastic debris, or litter, in the ocean is now ubiquitous. Society’s adoption of plastics as a
substitute for traditional materials has expanded almost exponentially since the 1950s, when
large-scale plastic production began. Durability is a common feature of most plastics, and it is
this property, combined with an unwillingness or inability to manage end-of-life plastic
effectively that has resulted in marine plastics and microplastics becoming a global problem.
Sources of plastics and microplastics to the ocean are many and varied, but the actual
quantities involved remain largely unknown. Reliable quantitative comparisons between the
input loads of macro and microplastics, their sources, originating sectors and users are not
possible at present, and this represents a significant knowledge gap. Estimates of some
sources, such as municipal solid waste, have been made. These are useful to focus attention
but the numbers should be treated with some caution due to the large uncertainties involved.
Some of the most important land-based sources of larger plastic objects (macroplastics)
include: construction, household goods, packaging, coastal tourism, and food and drink
packaging.

Студентска кръгла маса на тема: „Съвременни предизвикателства пред международната икономика:

постигнат напредък по глобалните цели за устойчиво развитие на ООН“ – 15.05.2020 г.
 ВТУ “Св. св. Кирил и Методий” Катедра Икономическа теория и
Стопански факултет Международни икономически отношения

How much of this material enters the ocean will be dependent largely on the extent and
effectiveness of wastewater and solid waste collection and management. Land-based sources
of microplastics include: cosmetics and personal care products, textiles and clothing,
terrestrial transport (dust from tyres), and plastic producers and fabricators (plastic resin
pellets used in plastics manufacture).
Marine plastics are distributed throughout the ocean, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. This
is due to the durability of plastics, the global nature of potential sources and the ease to which
surface currents will carry floating plastics. The surface circulation is well known and is
amenable to modelling. There are several persistent features such as the five sub-tropical
gyres in the Indian Ocean, North and South Atlantic, and North and South Pacific. These are
areas with relatively high concentrations of floating microplastics.

Warnings of what was happening were reported in the scientific literature in the early
1970s, with little reaction from much of the scientific community. It is only in the past decade
that the scale and importance of the problem has received due attention. This report was
prepared at the request of the first United Nations Environment Assembly, which took place
23-27 June 2014, hosted by UNEP in Nairobi, Kenya . It is intended to summarise the state of
our knowledge on sources, fate and effects of marine plastics and microplastics, and describe
approaches and potential solutions to address this multifaceted conundrum. Plastic litter in the
ocean can be considered a ‘common concern of humankind’.

So, everything starts from the human consciousness. Until today people who fishare likely
to try to catch as many fish as they can, reason-ing that if they don’t, others will.
Similarly, dumping waste and pollutants in public watersand land or into the air is the
cheapest way to dispose ofworthless products. Firms are generally unwilling to dis-pose of
these materials by more expensive means unlessmandated by law.
However, the SDGs aim to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal
ecosystems from pollution, as well as address the impacts of ocean acidification. Enhancing
conservation and the sustainable use of ocean-based resources through international law will
also help mitigate some of the challenges facing our oceans. As billions of people depend on
oceans for their livelihood and food source and on the transboundary nature of oceans,
increased efforts and interventions are needed to conserve and sustainably use ocean
resources at all levels.

Студентска кръгла маса на тема: „Съвременни предизвикателства пред международната икономика:

постигнат напредък по глобалните цели за устойчиво развитие на ООН“ – 15.05.2020 г.
 ВТУ “Св. св. Кирил и Методий” Катедра Икономическа теория и
Стопански факултет Международни икономически отношения

Establishing comprehensive, effective and equitably managed systems of government-

protected areas should be pursued to conserve biodiversity and ensure a sustainable future for
the fishing industry. On a local level, we should make ocean-friendly choices when buying
products or eating food derived from oceans and consume only what we need. Selecting
certified products is a good place to start.
Making small changes in our daily lives, like taking public transport and unplugging
electronics saves energy. These actions reduce our carbon footprint, a factor that contributes
to rising sea levels.
We should eliminate plastic usage as much as possible and organize beach clean-ups.
Most importantly, we can spread the message about how important marine life is and why
we need to protect it.

I think that everyone can help the oceans. We just need to Use these ten targets to create
action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans

1)REDUCE MARINE POLLUTION

By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from
land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.

Студентска кръгла маса на тема: „Съвременни предизвикателства пред международната икономика:

постигнат напредък по глобалните цели за устойчиво развитие на ООН“ – 15.05.2020 г.
 ВТУ “Св. св. Кирил и Методий” Катедра Икономическа теория и
Стопански факултет Международни икономически отношения

2) PROTECT AND RESTORE ECOSYSTEMS

Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts,
including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve
healthy and productive oceans.

3) REDUCE OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific
cooperation at all levels.

4) SUSTAINABLE FISHING
Effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and
destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish
stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as
determined by their biological characteristics.

5) CONSERVE COASTAL AND MARINE AREAS

Conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international
law and based on the best available scientific information.

6) END SUBSIDIES CONTRIBUTING TO OVERFISHING

Prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing,
eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from
introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential
treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade
Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation.

7) INCREASE THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM SUSTAINABLE USE OF MARINE

RESOURCES
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed
countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of
fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.

8) INCREASE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY FOR OCEAN

HEALTH
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into
account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of
Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine
biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States
and least developed countries.

9) SUPPORT SMALL SCALE FISHERS

Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets.

10) IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE INTERNATIONAL SEA LAW

Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing
international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides
the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled
in paragraph 158 of “The future we want”

Студентска кръгла маса на тема: „Съвременни предизвикателства пред международната икономика:

постигнат напредък по глобалните цели за устойчиво развитие на ООН“ – 15.05.2020 г.
 ВТУ “Св. св. Кирил и Методий” Катедра Икономическа теория и
Стопански факултет Международни икономически отношения

Студентска кръгла маса на тема: „Съвременни предизвикателства пред международната икономика:

постигнат напредък по глобалните цели за устойчиво развитие на ООН“ – 15.05.2020 г.