Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has affirmed Jamaica’s commitment to sustainably manage 100 percent of the country’s national waters to aid in protecting the ocean’s resources globally. This is in keeping with a new ocean action agenda focusing on developing a sustainable ocean economy, by effectively balancing conservation and sustainable use of the resources of the sea.
The agenda has been proposed by a High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) comprising 14 world leaders, including Mr. Holness.
“I reiterate that the richness of Jamaica’s oceans must be managed sustainably to ensure that productivity and diversification is achieved for the benefit of people and communities whose livelihoods depend on it and for the benefit of a healthy planet,” the prime minister said.
He was speaking at the virtual national launch for the new global agenda on Thursday.
Mr. Holness explained that on Dec. 2, 2020, Ocean Panel members collectively put forward a new ocean action agenda “to achieve 100 percent sustainable ocean management of areas with a national jurisdiction guided by sustainable ocean plans by 2025, and to support a global target to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. ”
Since Dec. 3, Ocean Panel countries have been hosting a series of national launch events to signify and build global political will around their commitments.
The prime minister emphasized that the new ocean agenda is the result of an unprecedented scientific knowledge base for action, including 20 commissioned blue papers, three special reports and a politically endorsed document, titled, “Transformations for a Sustainable Economy: A Vision of Protection, Production and Prosperity.”