A global drive to map 80 percent of the seabed by 2030 should be launched to protect the world's oceans, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.

Speaking at the opening of the 2022 UN Ocean Conference in the Portuguese capital, Guterres called on governments around the world to "increase their ambition to recover the oceans."

Pollution of all kinds must be reduced in order to protect "people whose lives depend on the sea from the impact of climate change," he said. New, climate-resilient coastal infrastructure must be created, he added, and the maritime transport sector must commit to reducing carbon emissions to zero "by 2050."

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also called for the mapping of maritime territory as well as more investment in environmental education. "This Lisbon conference has to be not only a sign that there is room for peace, multilateralism, dialogue, cooperation, but also a sign that we are going to act faster," he said.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has also made a commitment to classify 30 percent of the national marine area by 2030, and to bring all national fishery stocks within sustainable biological limits.

The Portuguese government "will continue to invest in the Air Center initiative, as a network of scientific collaboration between countries and research institutes in areas such as space, observation of the atmosphere, oceans, climate and energy," Costa said.

"By the end of this year, we will create the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development office," he added. Portugal will also "ensure that 100 percent of the maritime space under Portuguese sovereignty or jurisdiction is evaluated in good environmental condition."

Protecting the oceans is crucial to combating climate change, promoting biodiversity and sustainable development, and ensuring maritime safety and freedom of movement, Costa said.

"We need a global ocean agenda, focused on practical solutions, based on science and endowed with the necessary financial resources," he added.

The United Nations Conference on the Oceans is taking place in Lisbon until July 1, attended by heads of state and government from across the globe.

For more: 

World Ocean Day: Restore undersea meadows

World Oceans Day: Collective protective action needed

World Oceans Day: Why a senior engineer chose to plant corals in China's Shenzhen

Our Coast: Restoring seagrasses

Hainan repairs seagrass beds to boost marine diversity

Fading coral reefs – a sign of dwindling ocean health

(Cover image via CFP)

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