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Collective effort, political will key to protecting Arafura, Timor seas' marine heritage
There is a dire need to ensure that communities, whose future depends on the riches of the oceans, understand that sustainable fishing practices are non-negotiable.
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Marine treasure: An anemone waves in ocean currents. Protecting and preserving the marine ecosystem of the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) for the future of all human kind requires a collective, collaborative and continuous effort. (Courtesy of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry/-)
I
t is now common knowledge that humanity faces some serious threats to its long-term survival on Earth. Foremost of these threats is climate change, with rising temperatures posing an existential threat to the human race.
Central to mitigating this threat is better protection and preservation of our oceans, because not only is 70 percent of Earth’s surface covered by water, but the oceans also regulate our climate.
Our oceans are under threat not only from rising temperatures, which cause lasting destruction to the marine ecosystem, but by our overall. Apart from emitting millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we are also guilty of marine and land-based pollution, unsustainable fishing, habitat degradation and being the cause of loss of species.
Many experts warn that by 2050, there may be more plastic than fish in our seas, or possibly, all that will be left in our seas is plastic. In addition, 90 percent of coral reefs may be dead and waves of mass extinction may be unleashed on marine species.
If our oceans die, so will we. While 2050 may seem far down the road, it is less than three decades away. In terms of Earth’s life span, it is a mere nanosecond.
Over the past decade, the Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action Programme (ATSEA) has been working hand in hand with the governments of Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and Australia to address these challenges.
The ATSEA-2 project is the second phase of the ATSEA program, which is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project runs from 2019 to 2024 and has achieved a number of milestones.
