APEC members share one ocean, and
they account for over 80% of global aquaculture production. The ocean is an important conduit for
90% of world trade, and connects people, markets and livelihoods, as well as
providing ecosystem services and playing an important role towards fulfilling
economic recovery and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region.
APEC recognizes the need to
conserve and sustain the ocean so that it can continue to meet the needs of the
present without damaging the interests of future
generations. It is also mindful of increasing challenges both from natural and
human factors, such as over-exploitation of resources in the context of
increasing human demands, increasing pollution, loss of biodiversity, and the
impacts of global climate change and natural disasters. APEC is an important
platform for regional economic integration and growth, and a well-placed
platform for discussion and cooperation related to the
ocean.
We acknowledge and seek to build
upon previous work in this area, which came out of guidance from APEC Leaders’
Declarations, APEC Leaders’ Growth Strategy, and the 2013 Joint Ministerial
Statement and commitments made in the 2002 Seoul Ocean Declaration, the 2005
Bali Plan of Action, the 2010 Paracas Declaration and Paracas Action
Agenda,
and in particular
the
Xiamen Declaration, which is the outcome document of the 4th APEC Ocean-related
Ministerial Meeting (AOMM4) held in Xiamen, China, on 28 August, 2014. We
also commend the progress made by the Ocean and Fisheries
Working Group
in these
years
We confirm that “for the purposes
of APEC, the APEC Ocean and Fisheries Working Group views Blue Economy as an
approach to advance sustainable management and conservation of ocean and coastal
resources and ecosystems and sustainable development, in order to foster
economic growth”. We also recognize
the importance of the APEC Marine Sustainable Development Report, which provides
an overview of marine sustainable development activities within
APEC.
While progress has been made in
APEC, particularly over the past few years, we also recognize that the world’s
oceans and seas still require better understanding and coordinated action and
the urgent need for ocean cooperation due to the complex and trans-boundary
nature of ocean and coastal issues and challenge. We support the call made by APEC Ocean-Related
Ministers in the Xiamen Declaration for the establishment of more integrated,
sustainable, inclusive and mutually beneficial partnership through ocean
cooperation among APEC members, that implements previous commitments and focuses
efforts on collaborative and concerted actions in the following four priority
areas: (1) Coastal and marine ecosystem conservation and disaster resilience;
(2) The role of the ocean on food security and food-related trade; (3) Marine
science, technology and innovation; and (4) Blue
Economy.
We welcome the
Xiamen Declaration and support the actions within it in the hopes of supporting
healthy and productive oceans and coasts in the APEC region.
