In 2023 a global agreement was joined by nearly every country in the world to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. But today, only 8% of it is under some kind of protection and many Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are still being fished and mined. To a large degree, that may be because communities see MPAs as anchors weighing down local and national economies. Revive Our Ocean seeks to change that narrative.
The new initiative helps to scale coastal protection and design marine protected areas (MPAs) as regenerative businesses, proving that conservation yields economic prosperity. The initiative provides coastal communities with a practical set of proven tools, including a step-by-step “MPA How-to” guide and access to a global network of top marine protection experts to create an MPA that serves the community as well as the planet as a whole.
“Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the multiple benefits of effective MPAs; government red tape makes them difficult to establish; and they often aren’t designed with proper business plans,” said Kristin Rechberger, Founder of Revive Our Ocean and CEO of Dynamic Planet which works with governments, businesses and civil society to transition from extractive economies to regenerative and circular economies.
A recent study of MPAs in 34 countries across six continents found that they deliver a range of economic benefits. The study examined more than 50 protected areas to find that MPAs boosted fishing and tourism, with profits in some regions reaching billions of dollars.
“One of the greatest myths about Marine Protected Areas is that they solely benefit ocean biodiversity at the expense of jobs and income. Revive Our Ocean will reveal how MPAs can power regenerative businesses–businesses that restore nature–proving that conservation and economic prosperity can go hand in hand. Local communities engaged in fishing, tourism and other activities have known this for generations. Reviving marine life revives local economies and communities.
“Despite overexploitation, the ocean has an incredible ability to recover – if we take action now,” said Rechberger. “To meet the 30×30 goal, we need to quadruple ocean protection in the next five years. Now we need all coastal communities in the world to create their own marine protected areas, because they work for everyone and can also be a good business.“
Coordinated by Dynamic Planet, with co-founding partner National Geographic Pristine Seas, Revive Our Ocean seeks to spark global change and accelerate coastal protection worldwide by inspiring, enabling, and equipping local communities to create as many new local MPAs as possible. The initiative will begin with seven countries–the United Kingdom, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Mexico, Philippines and Indonesia–and offers a solution to overfishing and climate change to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
