Protecting 30% of the oceans helps to “increase the number of aquatic organisms in the rest of the seas”, which makes it possible to catch “12% more fish” in the world, according to the famous marine biologist Enrique Sala. Currently, 8% of the oceans are relatively protected from fishing and only 3% are fully protected, says Sala, who works as an explorer for National Geographic. In December, during the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal (COP 15), the world’s nations pledged to protect 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030. The areas that should be protected as a priority are within the exclusive economic zones, which is 200 nautical miles (370 km). kilometers), where each country has its own jurisdiction, Sala said during a session devoted to “oceans and marine biodiversity in the face of climate change.” He added, “The exclusive economic zone witnesses 96 percent of the world’s fishing operations.” “If these areas were protected, the world could catch an additional 8 million tons (…) or the equivalent of 12% more than the world’s fish,” he said, stressing that protecting marine areas would help “raise the numbers of marine organisms in the rest of the seas.” “. The cost of protecting 30% of the oceans is about $20 billion. “This amount is large, but it is similar to what countries around the world pay to finance alternative solutions to overfishing,” Sala said, noting that this goal is only a “step” and that in the long term it should protect 45% of land and oceans.
