The Global Ocean Commission, an organization of world leaders, is recommending governments to start enforcing laws governing over-fishing and marine pollution. A commission study stated if those procedures are not put in place, commercial fishing would need to be banned from regions of the world's oceans.
In addition, the group recommended more stringent regulations of off-shore oil and gas platforms in the world's oceans, and an end to subsidies for fishing operations.
The Global Ocean Commission was formed in 2013. They created the report after consulting with experts representing a wide range of fields of study. These included researchers, environmental groups and business leaders.
Mission Ocean, called a "Rescue Package for the Global Ocean," is composed of eight sections.
In addition to reducing over-fishing and better enforcement of laws governing pollution, the group also outlined a plan to keep plastics out of the marine environment.
"World plastics production is estimated to increase by over 100 times based on 2010 production levels, from 270 million in 2010 to 33 billion in 2050, a percentage of which will end up in the ocean unless preventative action is taken," the group wrote in their report.
The plan to reduce plastics in the world's oceans includes incentives to encourage recycling. Over 80 percent of the plastic in the world's oceans comes from land (the rest is from people aboard ships). Another way to reduce the quantity of plastic in oceans is by banning certain 'unsustainable' uses of the material, such as plastic bags.
A High Seas Regeneration Zone is also called for in the study. The group states that governments often do not implement environmental recommendations. They suggested their own group to monitor the progress of environmental regulation and pollution levels.
"If it reports continued decline after a period of, say, five years or similarly short period of time, then the world community of States should consider turning the high seas - with the exception of those areas where RFMO action is effective - into a regeneration zone where industrial fishing is prevented," the group wrote.
Each year around the world, roughly 88 million tons of sealife is caught for human consumption. Roughly 12.5 percent of this, or 11 million tons, comes from the global ocean, the report states. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are the world's top nations in fishing yields.
"The oceans are a failed state. A previously virgin area has been turned into a plundered part of the planet," David Miliband, former British foreign secretary and co-chair of the commission, said.
