In fact, there was an increase of over 23 per cent in the peak values of the indicator for the 20 calendar year average, compared with the mean value for previous years. While the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused some reduction in coastal pollution in certain areas owing to reduced tourism and activity, the pandemic does not appear to have globally reduced eutrophication. The satellite-derived eutrophication indicator shows an increasing trend from 2016 to the present. The pandemic also led to a dramatic reduction in tourism, causing substantial income losses for coastal and island communities. Owing to the initial lockdowns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries experienced a 40–80 per cent decline in fish production, with small-scale fisher communities hardest hit. The pandemic has not eased that burden, as an estimated 25,000 tons of plastic waste has steadily entered the global ocean owing to an increase in single-use plastic primarily from medical waste. The world’s oceans and seas continue to struggle against increased acidification, eutrophication and plastic pollution, which are endangering the planet’s largest ecosystem and the billions of livelihoods depending on them. Target 14.a: Even though the ocean covers more than 70% of the surface of our planet and contributes to 2.5% of the world gross value added, on average, between 2013 to 2021, only 1.1% of national research budgets were allocated for ocean science.However, this score conceals a reduced number of countries that contributed to the reporting. Target 14.b: Globally, the degree of application of frameworks that recognize and protect access rights for small-scale fisheries in 2022 was at the highest level based on available data, reaching a maximum score of 5 out of 5.The new WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, adopted in June 2022, marks a major step forward towards ocean sustainability. In the 2018-2022 period, there has been some progress at the global level in implementing instruments to combat IUU fishing. Target 14.6: By the end of 2022, the Agreement on Port State Measures, targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, reached 74 Parties, (including the European Union) or effectively 100 States.However, the trend continues to deteriorate from the 2020 target to restore fish stocks to biologically sustainable levels. Despite ongoing deterioration, the rate of decline has decelerated in recent years. More than a third (35.4%) of global stocks were overfished in 2019, an increase of 1.2% since 2017. Target 14.4: Fishery resources continue to be threatened by overfishing, pollution, poor management and other factors, including illegal fishing.

This means that the ocean today is about 30% more acidic than in pre-industrial times. Target 14.3: Ocean acidification is increasing and will continue to do so if CO2 emissions do not stop rising, threatening marine ecosystems and the services they provide.The highest rates are in the Arabian Sea. Target 14.1: The global trend of elevated coastal eutrophication continued in 2022 above the 2000-2004 baseline conditions, though different in magnitude from recent years.Urgent and coordinated global action is needed to continue to advance towards SDG14. While there has been some progress in expanding marine protected areas and combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing over the years, more concerted efforts and acceleration are urgently needed. The ocean, the world’s largest ecosystem, continues to be endangered by rising acidification, eutrophication, declining fish stocks and mounting plastic pollution. Destructive trends in ocean health have not abated.

Basic ocean waves png