Revive Our Ocean Initiative | 29 Apr 2025

Source: DTE 

The 'Revive Our Ocean' initiative, launched by the international NGO Dynamic Planet, seeks to boost marine conservation by empowering local communities to create marine protected areas (MPAs) and promote sustainable economic growth through fishing and tourism. 

• Revive Our Ocean: The initiative aligns with the 30X30 target of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, aiming to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. 
  • It initially targets seven countries UK, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Mexico, where local communities will be empowered to establish and manage MPAs effectively. 
  • It highlights MPAs as economic assets, with examples like Medes Island (Spain), where a no-fishing zone generates USD 16 million annually through tourism. 
  • The initiative is in line with the 2023 High Seas Treaty, which requires ratification by 60 countries to come into effect (India signed the High Seas Treaty). 
• MPAs: An MPA is a region managed for the conservation of marine resources, with restrictions on certain activities to protect ecosystems, habitats, or fisheries.  
  • Some activities, like fishing and research, may still occur in multi-purpose MPAs. 
  • Although over 16,000 MPAs cover 8% of the world's oceans, only 3% are fully protected, as per the Protected Planet Report, 2024.  
  • Many MPAs suffer from poor management or allow destructive practices like bottom trawling.