Saving the Seas to Ensure Food Security
26 October 2010
Since the food crisis of a few years ago, much attention has been paid to improving agriculture and conserving the land. But land is not the only source of food. The oceans provide food and jobs for millions of people, yet very little is being done to protect them.
Marine conservationists say less than one percent of the world’s oceans are protected. They say the seas need protection from people, who take from their bounty, often without regard to the consequences – or even awareness of the results of their actions.
Playing catch-up
Steve Watkins, senior vice president of RARE, a conservation group in the Washington, D.C., area, says, “It’s been much easier to initially focus on the terrestrial world, the landscapes we see, because we all live and walk around on the land. And it’s just the first thing that comes to mind. So, in a sense there’s a bit of catch-up in terms of paying attention to the oceans that needs to happen.”
Some Malagasy learn about RARE efforts to preserve the oceans
RARE, a nonprofit group, is working in 50 countries to get local communities to treat the seas with more respect and with an eye toward the future.
“We firmly believe in helping local communities to address their own environmental issues, which is why we seek out community leaders, that we can kind of train and mentor and help them to succeed. So it’s about sort of their growth and them address their problems rather than us running our own projects,” says Watkins.
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