This winter the High Seas Alliance is building a Wave of Change for the high seas and we want you to join in! Why a Wave of Change? Simple, it’s to raise public awareness about the dire state of our ocean and the urgent need for better protection and governance of the high seas.
The High Seas Alliance hosted a Google Hangout on Air with champions of the high seas including Sir Richard Branson and Sylvia Earle at the World Parks Congress in Sydney, 15 November 2014 .This winter the High Seas Alliance is building a Wave of Change for the high seas and we want you to join in!
Why a Wave of Change? Simple, it’s to raise public awareness about the dire state of our ocean and the urgent need for better protection and governance of the high seas.
The high seas is a vast area that makes up nearly two-thirds of our ocean and about 50% of our planet’s surface and currently falls outside of any country’s national jurisdiction; this means it’s the largest unprotected and lawless region on Earth.
We need to look forward. It is critical that we protect the ecosystem that provides oxygen for every second breath we take and ensure a healthy and biodiversity-rich ocean for generations to come.
At the Rio+20 Earth Summit, United Nation (UN) member states committed to take a decision whether to launch negotiations for a new ocean biodiversity treaty that would address the current lack of conservation measures for the high seas by September 2015. Governments at UN Headquarters have been convening a series of Ad Hoc Working Group meetings with the final meeting scheduled for late January 2015.
Leading up to this crucial meeting, the High Seas Alliance is reaching out through social media to request that messages be sent via Twitter reflecting “why the ocean is important” and demand that governments take a stand to protect the high seas at the UN and improve the current fragmented ocean governance regime.As well as gathering support from the general public, the High Seas Alliance has been mobilizing the ocean community (online and offline) at the following key events:
High time for the High Seas Google Hangout featured ocean policy, campaign and law experts building a wave of change at the United Nations for stronger international protection and governance of the high seas and areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). Watch the highlights in the video below or watch in full here:
The High Seas Alliance hosted a Google Hangout on Air with champions of the high seas including Sir Richard Branson and Sylvia Earle at the World Parks Congress in Sydney, 15 November 2014 .
The audience during the 2014 BLUE Ocean Film Festival Awards Ceremony got a bit of exercise for the ocean. Together they participated in a #WaveofChange for the high seas.
- We’ve been asking our supporters to send in their pictures of themselves doing the wave on twitter for our Wave of Change for the high seas. Thanks to everyone who has participated so far.
- More events to come live from the UN BBNJ meeting in January so check back soon for further details…
Please stay abreast of our activities and help protect our high seas by joining the #WaveofChange and following @HighSeasAllianc on Twitter.