Ocean rescue plan has urgent five-year deadline to act: report

Source: Phys.org

The world's oceans need saving from pollution and overfishing, and an independent panel warned Tuesday that urgent action was needed within five years.

The Global Ocean Commission said cutting down on single-use plastics products, restricting fishing on the high seas, and establishing binding regulations for offshore oil and gas exploration are key parts of the rescue plan.

In all, the former heads of state and business leaders offered eight proposals for ocean health in their report, "From Decline to Recovery – A Rescue Package for the Global Ocean."

"The ocean provides 50 percent of our oxygen and fixes 25 percent of global carbon emissions. Our food chain begins in that 70 percent of the planet," said Jose Maria Figueres, co-chair of the commission and a former president of Costa Rica.

Read more: http://phys.org/news/2014-06-ocean-urgent-five-year-deadline.html