Conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Pollution and overexploitation of the oceans are increasingly causing problems, such as the acute threat to biodiversity, ocean acidification and increasing plastic waste. In addition to industrial fishing and the industrial exploitation of marine resources, climate change is putting increasing pressure on ecosystems. As the world’s population continues to grow, it will be even more dependent on resources from the oceans in the future.
Target 14 calls for all forms of marine pollution to be substantially reduced and ocean acidification to be minimized by 2025. Marine and coastal ecosystems are to be sustainably managed and protected as early as 2020. Similarly, fishing activity should be effectively regulated by 2020. In order to stop overfishing of the seas, illegal and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices are to be stopped by 2020. Similarly, certain forms of fisheries subsidies should be prohibited.
