Life on the seabed with tropical fish and corals
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Description

Goal 14 is about conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources. Healthy oceans and seas are essential to human existence and life on Earth.

The Ocean is intrinsic to our life on earth. Covering three-quarters of the Earth’s surface, contain 97 percent of the Earth’s water, and represent 99 percent of the living space on the planet by volume.

They provide key natural resources including food, medicines, biofuels and other products; help with the breakdown and removal of waste and pollution; and their coastal ecosystems act as buffers to reduce damage from storms. They also act as the planet’s greatest carbon sink.

Worryingly, marine pollution is reaching extreme levels, with over 17 million metric tons clogging the ocean in 2021, a figure set to double or triple by 2040. Plastic is the most harmful type of ocean pollution.

Targets and Indicators

Agencies, Funds and Programmes

Regional indicators

Regional overview

      • In recent years, some progress has been made on Goal 14, which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources. However, progress varies greatly from country to country, and on some targets, such as those on marine pollution and overfishing, it has stalled or reversed course.
      • Latin America and the Caribbean has performed worse than the global average on coastal protection, clean waters and biodiversity. Although the region has made progress in regulating single-use plastics and has slightly reduced the amount of plastic ending up in oceans, the accumulation of land-based debris on beaches continues to rise.
      • Data availability has increased, but not enough to provide a reliably accurate understanding of different risk factors’ combined effects and how they amplify threats to livelihoods, economic activities and the capacity to sustain ecosystem services.

    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean

    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean

    The analysis of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) presented here is the outcome of the discussions held within the framework of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and Caribbean on Sustainable Development, convened under the auspices of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Key facts on the region

      • Between 2017 and 2022, the proportion of land-based debris accumulated on the region’s beaches and along the coastline increased from 62% to 67% (3 percentage points below the global average), while the proportion accumulated in the oceans decreased from 38% to 33% (3 percentage points above the global average).
      • In 2022, 1.6 million tons of debris accumulated on beaches and 771,000 tons accumulated in the oceans. Considering that the Caribbean accounts for just 3.1% (39 million) of the region’s population, its share of total debris on the region’s beaches (14%) is relatively high and its share of total debris in oceans (21%) is higher still. Ocean currents, transboundary pollution and low waste management capacity are behind this phenomenon.
      • Ocean currents intensify and concentrate the accumulation of debris in the Caribbean, where the level of plastic pollution is 3.5 times greater than the global average. This situation, combined with less efficient waste management systems, leaves more than 320,000 tons of plastic debris uncollected in the subregion every year.
      • Between 1999 and 2019, fertilizer use in the region increased from 17 kg/ha to 39 kg/ha, and pesticide use in agriculture increased from 388,000 tons in 1999 to 870,000 tons in 2022, affecting inland and marine aquatic ecosystems.
      • Two of the four countries with the largest area of mangroves in the world are Brazil and Mexico, which account for 9% and 6% of the global total, respectively. Between 2010 and 2020, these countries recorded annual losses of 900  ha and 300 ha, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reported annual losses of 5,700 ha. On a positive note, Mexico’s efforts under its mangrove protection strategy have produced detailed maps that are searchable down to the hectare.
      • In the wider Caribbean region, home to the world’s second-largest coral reef, marine acidification has caused estimated net erosion of 37%. Ocean pH is projected to deteriorate significantly, especially in the Caribbean, where phenomena such as coral bleaching and the loss of species sensitive to these changes are clear to see.
      • The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) identifies four fishing areas in the seas of Latin  America and the Caribbean. In three of them, the proportion of exploited marine stocks that are within the limits of biological sustainability is below the global average of 64.6%. In contrast, the eastern-central Pacific is the most sustainable fishing area in the world.
      • The catch of marine species has declined in the region over the last four decades. The western-central Atlantic recorded the steepest drop, from 2.01 million tons in 1980 to 1.25 million tons in 2020, followed by the south-east Pacific, where the catch fell from 10.23 million tons to 8.40 million tons. Latin America and the Caribbean is estimated to have lost US$ 3.2 billion in income owing to deficiencies in fisheries management; by the same token, it could potentially see the largest job gains of any region (24%) if marine stocks were exploited at their maximum sustainable yield level.
      • The region has made significant progress in coastal and marine area conservation, with an average conservation rate of 22.9% —more than double the threshold needed to meet target 14.5. However, a handful of countries with large protected areas account for the bulk of that average; nearly half the region’s coastal countries have a rate of less than 2%.
      • Latin America and the Caribbean accounts for only 6% of the total global fisheries subsidies that target 14.6 seeks to limit. Nonetheless, the region’s fishing communities and resources are disproportionately affected by the presence of heavily subsidized foreign fleets that fuel overexploitation by artificially reducing the cost of fishing operations.
      • Sustainable fishing is important for small island developing States, given the role it plays in food security, livelihoods, income and employment. It generates 0.3% of their GDP, compared to less than 0.15% in the other countries of the region. Meanwhile, sustainable fishing activities account for 1.4% of Suriname’s GDP, well above the averages for small island developing States and the region.
      • The proportion of national investment or expenditure on ocean sciences and technologies relative to total research and development expenditure is no more than 0.1%, well below the 2021 world average of 1.1%. The only exceptions are Ecuador (3.0% in 2021) and Peru (5.8% in 2016, down from 9.5% in 2013).
      • In the Caribbean, artisanal and subsistence fishing account for 63% of total fishing, compared to less than 33% in South America. Some countries depend almost exclusively on this activity: in Haiti and Jamaica, for example, artisanal and subsistence fishing accounts for 99% of catches.

Good practices in the region

      • Caribbean countries have started to explore potential economic uses of sargassum, such as the production of biofuels, biofertilizers, bioplastics, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, with the aim of transforming this crisis into a sustainable economic and environmental opportunity.
      • Some countries, such as Chile, have made progress in phasing out single-use plastics and approving regulations that extend producer responsibility. Colombia and Mexico, meanwhile, are promoting the use of biodegradable alternatives in agriculture to reduce pollution caused by pesticides and fertilizers.
      • The Ocean Acidification International Reference User Group is an example of regional cooperation on this understudied issue. In 2018, the group developed the Regional Action Plan on Ocean Acidification for Latin America and the Caribbean. Its priorities include standardizing monitoring methods, raising public awareness of the impact of acidification and securing political commitments for marine sustainability.
      • The Dominican Republic established the Laguna Arrecifal de Bávaro Ecological Recovery Area and implemented restrictions aimed at mitigating the adverse impact of tourist vessels on sea turtle populations.
      • In Chile, multipurpose marine and coastal protected areas combine environmental protection with different types of tourism, strengthening local economies and sustainable artisanal fishing.
      • The Marine Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific, which borders Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama and connects 10 marine protected areas spanning 2 million km2, is a good example of how coordinated intergovernmental planning can overcome global challenges to support conservation while generating social, economic and environmental benefits for coastal communities.
      • After nearly two decades of negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which prohibits destructive subsidies, was adopted on 17  June  2022. To date, only 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries have formally accepted this agreement, and given that the region stands to benefit considerably, the remaining countries should do so as well.
      • The French foundation Tara Océan partnered with institutions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Senegal and Togo to use plankton harvesting, DNA sequencing, automatic imaging, bioinformatics, mathematics, climate science and physics to conduct a comprehensive ocean study.
      • The adoption of voluntary instruments, such as Marine Stewardship Council certifications and FAO fisheries improvement projects, increased by more than 50% in the region in just four years (2020–2024). Mexico was the largest contributor to the increase.
      • The Self-Assessment Tool for the Implementation of the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement helps users to understand legal obligations under the agreement. Belize is one of the first countries piloting the use of this tool.
      • Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru have advanced implementation of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative, which was designed to promote the sustainability and effective governance of marine fisheries through transparency and multi-stakeholder participation.
      • Initiatives such as the Small Island Developing States Centre of Excellence, established at the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, can facilitate innovation, expand access to financing and foster an enabling environment for sustainable tourism.
      • Collaboration between governments, scientific communities and productive sectors is essential for protecting marine ecosystems and local economies. International research networks, such as the Research Network of Marine-Coastal Stressors in Latin America and the Caribbean, play a key role in sharing knowledge and strengthening science-based adaptation measures.

ECLAC recommendations

      • Reducing marine pollution requires integrated monitoring and analysis systems to detect pollution sources, assess their impact and design solutions based on scientific data. There is a crucial need to improve sanitation infrastructure, strengthen recycling systems and the circular economy, and apply innovative waste management technologies.
      • The adoption of a legally binding instrument on land and marine plastic pollution would be a significant and necessary global accomplishment.
      • Reducing CO2 emissions and implementing programmes for the continuous tracking of ocean chemistry are two major requirements for monitoring and reducing ocean acidification.
      • Sustainable fishery resource management requires harmonizing national legal frameworks with international commitments, collaboration between countries to establish joint protocols to address illegal fishing in shared and international waters, getting fishing communities involved in sustainable management, and using advanced technologies to strengthen maritime surveillance and monitoring.
      • Formal acceptance and implementation of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by countries of the region is an important step towards eliminating subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
      • It is essential to invest in the health of coral reefs by establishing marine protected areas and implementing measures to reduce harmful factors, such as coastal erosion, overfishing and wastewater pollution.
      • Cruise lines, hotels and tourist destinations should be evaluated on their adherence to international sustainability certification standards, including on a voluntary basis.
      • Measures should include prioritizing adaptive management plans, preventing legal setbacks, supporting ecological restoration to ensure the sustainability and the healthy functioning of reefs and other ecosystems, and adopting innovative financing approaches. For example, Mexico has insured the coral reefs of Quintana Roo against hurricanes with winds above 100 knots. This insurance mechanism, one of the first of its kind in the world, will enable rapid investment in post-hurricane restoration efforts.
      • There is a need to establish innovative financing mechanisms, such as blue bonds; convert destructive subsidies into constructive ones; implement insurance schemes to protect ecosystem health; and use advanced technologies to monitor long-term impact.
      • Priority should be given to economic diversification and policy design to ensure the resilience and sustainability of tourism by creating quality jobs and fostering sustainable fishing and aquaculture —economic activities that are crucial for the advancement of small island developing States.

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