In the latest edition of Deeply Talks, Jessica Leber, deputy managing editor of Oceans Deeply, speaks with High Seas Alliance director Peggy Kalas, Aqua-Spark managing partner Amy Novogratz and Chamber of Shipping of America president Kathy Metcalf about some of the issues they will be focusing on in 2018. The discussion is an extension of Oceans Deeply’s Outlook 2018, published in early January.
Kalas discussed the challenges ahead as the United Nations moves forward with a two-year process to negotiate a treaty that will, for the first time, protect the biodiversity of the high seas, the two-thirds of the ocean in international waters. “The challenge will be to ensure that the provisions of the treaty are robust,” she said, adding, “We’re very hopeful because we have had an extremely large number of governments that have been very, very supportive.”
One solution that could help conserve wild fish populations is the growing aquaculture industry. The Aqua-Spark investment fund, Novogratz said, will be looking to see progress in scaling up new technologies that will make farmed fish more sustainable in the future. “There’s some really great examples of farming, and they’re getting better and better,” she said. “We are starting to change the feed formulation, which is one of the big challenges of sustainable aquaculture. We have companies now that are using new ways to battle disease that eliminate antibiotics, technologies that help us better manage farms.”
Finally, Metcalf touched on a host of environmental issues on the international shipping industry’s plate this year, such as the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) cap on sulfur in fuels and its expected greenhouse gas reduction strategy due out this year. She also commented on emerging shipping issues in the Arctic, as more ice melts. “We have a lot of challenges up there, make no mistake,” she said. “There are navigational issues, there are search-and-rescue issues … those are all being electively addressed by not only the Arctic Council but also the IMO as we move forward to shipping increasing density in the Arctic.”
You can listen to the full conversation above. Tune in live for our next Deeply Talk on February 8.