The Ruckus in Oceans: 37 Nations Join Forces to Salvage Ocean's Acoustic Peace
Thirty-seven states are advocating for stronger measures to safeguard underwater acoustics in their waters.
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Human activities, such as shipping, drilling, and exploration, create a ruckus in our oceans, disturbing marine communication. A formidable alliance, led by Canada and Panama, has formed at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, to safeguard the distinct auditory landscape of the world's waters.
This coalition, declared as the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean, endeavors to deter noise pollution, concentrating primarily on the cacophony caused by shipping. They envision the creation of political guidelines to foster the evolution of quieter ships. This initiative extends to the exploration of practical solutions, such as slowing vessels down or rerouting them to safeguard sensitive aquatic life. Nations should also take noise into consideration when devising marine sanctuaries.
Rumors have it that the coalition's agenda includes:
- Promoting Quieter Boats: The coalition is championing the production and integration of noise-abating technologies in new vessels, as well as retrofitting existing ones to diminish disturbances.
- Integrating Noise Mitigation into Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): The coalition's objectives include blending noise reduction measures into the management of MPAs. This may involve setting noise limitations and designing shipping routes to minimize disturbance.
- Empowering Capacity Building and Science-Based Strategies: The coalition aims to support investment in capacity building and promote science-based solutions to tackle ocean noise pollution. This includes funding research into technologies that can simultaneously reduce noise and lower carbon emissions.
- Pledging Global Collaboration: Ministers from participating countries have penned a Declaration, pledging their commitment to these objectives. This mutual pledge serves as a clear sign of international determination to tackle ocean noise pollution as a peril to marine diversity and the resilience of ecosystems.
Apparently, the coalition's intentions are to safeguard marine life from the disruptions caused by noise pollution, which hampers animals' capacities to communicate, navigate, and sustain themselves in the oceans.
The Commission, in line with its mission to protect workers, has also adopted a proposal for a Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation in the context of science, health-and-wellness, and environmental science. Climate change, like the ruckus in oceans, can also pose severe risks to human health, and it is crucial to address this issue with science-based strategies and global collaboration.
