Protecting 30 percent oceans by 2030 not enough to ensure survival of marine megafauna: Study

Protecting 30% of oceans by 2030 won’t save whales, sharks, turtles, or seals, finds an Australian National University-led global study. Read further on Dynamite News

Canberra: The global goal to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030 will not be sufficient to ensure the survival of marine megafauna such as whales, sharks, turtles, and seals, according to a collective study by international scientists at the Australian National University, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

The study, which saw scientists from various countries doing a collaborative research at ANU, mapped the world's most critical ocean habitats for marine megafauna, revealing that even ambitious global protection targets will fall short of safeguarding these threatened species.

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In December 2022, the Convention on Biological Diversity parties agreed to conserve 30% of Earth's land and seas by 2030, but the United Nations Environment Program notes that biodiversity is unevenly protected: while a quarter of ecological regions meet the 30% target, some have no coverage, leaving many species and ecosystems insufficiently conserved.

The UN-endorsed MegaMove project, involving nearly 400 scientists from over 50 countries, tracked more than 100 marine megafauna species to identify where conservation efforts should focus, the ANU release said.

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The study, published in Science, found that only 8% of oceans are currently protected and warns that the UN High Seas Treaty's 30% target, while ambitious and backed by 115 countries, will not fully safeguard key habitats for threatened marine giants.

ANU Associate Professor Ana Sequeira, the study's lead author and MegaMove founder, explained that the research mapped areas where marine megafauna engage in essential behaviours such as foraging, resting, and migration.

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These species serve as top predators with crucial roles in marine ecosystems but face mounting threats from human activities, she said.

"We found that the areas used by these animals overlap significantly with threats like fishing, shipping, warming temperatures, and plastic pollution," Sequeira said, adding that the 30% protection goal is helpful but not enough, so further measures are needed to reduce threats beyond protected areas.

The study identifies specific mitigation measures beyond protected areas, including modifications to fishing gear, different lighting systems in nets, and ship traffic management schemes.