A Win for Conservation
No water, no life. No blue, no green. - Sylvia Earle
I’m celebrating a conservation win this week! After almost two decades in the making UN member states finally agreed on a historic treaty to protect the high seas.
Covering almost two-thirds of the ocean that lies outside national boundaries, the treaty will provide a legal framework for establishing vast marine protected areas (MPAs) to protect against the loss of wildlife and share out the genetic resources of the high seas. It will establish a conference of the parties (Cop) that will meet periodically and enable member states to be held to account on issues such as governance and biodiversity. The Guardian
World oceans cover 70.8% of the planet and contain 97% of the earth’s water. The diversity of life in the ocean is immense. Marine species range in size from microscopic phytoplankton, which can be as small as 0.02 micrometres, to huge cetaceans like the blue whale – the largest known animal, reaching 33 m (108 ft) in length (Wikipedia).
A few years ago, we vacationed in the Turks and Caicos. I spent the entire week swimming with the sea turtles and a go pro camera. I quickly learned which grassy patch the turtles frequented and what time of day they would come to feed.
Fanning their fins like wings, they swam effortlessly to the surface to take a breath before diving back down to the sandy bottom to graze.
Only the spotted eagle rays were more graceful in their flight through the water. I was in heaven in the azure blue world of the Caribbean.
Protecting more ocean territory is a significant step towards positive climate action. I hope this new treaty becomes a model for safeguarding other ecosystems around the globe. When we protect nature we protect our future.
Need some restorative time in the wild? Check out last week’s blog about my next safari in January 2024!
Contact me for trip costs and travel details.
About your guide: Kathy Karn is an international award-winning wildlife photographer and visual storyteller who fell in love with Africa on her first visit in 2010. Kathy loves to introduce others to the wonders of Africa and the need for preservation of the wildlife of the continent. Subscribe to Heartfelt Stories to learn more about what awaits you on safari.
In traveling to a truly foreign place, we inevitably travel to moods and states of mind and hidden inwards passages that we’d otherwise seldom have cause to visit. Pico Iyer