Honolulu, Hawaii, 9 September 2016 –
Fourteen new ocean Hope Spots – marine areas critical to the health of the ocean and deserving special protection – have been announced today by
Mission
Blue and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, at the
IUCN World Conservation Congress currently taking place in Hawaiʻi.
The new 14 Hope Spots,
which include Hatteras in North Carolina
and Malpelo off the coast of Columbia, were evaluated for their
exceptional qualities by the joint Mission Blue/IUCN Hope Spots
Council.
The
announcement comes following rigorous scientific vetting of nominations
put forward by citizens and organisations across the planet, calling for
more ocean protection. By allowing citizens to elect their own
Hope Spots, Mission Blue and IUCN hope to ignite broad public support
for a global network of marine protected areas large enough to protect
and restore the ocean’s health.
“This Hope
Spot nomination process has been a way to encourage people to take
responsibility and ownership of their environment,” says
Sylvia Earle, Founder of Mission Blue and National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence.
“The ocean is in trouble, but you can do something about it. Join us as
a global community to become leaders towards this common goal. We want
people to own
their ocean and for Hope Spots to become a shared vision. This
partnership between IUCN and Mission Blue is a solution to the serious
problems facing the ocean.”
Hope Spots
are new areas
that need protection or existing marine protected areas where enhanced
conservation action is needed. While about 15 percent of terrestrial
regions is currently under some form of protection, less than four
percent of the ocean is protected, leaving
it vulnerable to overfishing, pollution and over-exploitation.
“The new Hope
Spot nomination process allows anyone from anywhere to nominate a
marine site special to them and is unique to the conservation world,”
says
Director of Global Marine and Polar Program at IUCN. “This means that for the first time, the global community can have a direct say in the protection of the ocean.
“This partnership between Mission Blue and
IUCN
on Hope Spots has great implications for
community-sponsored conservation and will empower people to protect
themselves, giving them a chance to be heard.”
Sylvia Earle
introduced the concept of Hope Spots in her 2009 TED talk and since then
the idea has inspired millions, with support from National Geographic
and Rolex.
Technology
partners are helping promote the Hope Spots to billions across the
globe. With the support of Google, Hope Spots will be integrated into
the Google platform, which will allow users to explore, understand
and appreciate the great living systems of the ocean.
There are
currently a total of 76 Hope Spots around the world, including Moreton
Bay Marine Park in Australia, the glass sponge reefs of Hecate Strait
and Queen Charlotte Sound in Canada and the Jardines de la
Reina in Cuba.
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