What's SDG #14 about?
SDG #14 seeks to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Targets under this goal include:
- Reducing marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities
- Protecting and conserving ecosystems to ensure their sustainability, resilience, and reduce adverse impacts
- Reducing ocean acidification
- Regulating harvesting to ensure sustainable fishing
- Increasing economic benefits from the sustainable use of marine resources
- Supporting small scale fishers
Oceans make up approximately 70% of the Earths surface and are important for human wellbeing through climate regulation, providing food and generating oxygen, as well as the many social benefits that marine environments provide through recreation, culture and work opportunities. The range of targets under SDG #14 really highlight that progress towards this goal needs to prioritise actions that are environmental, social, economic and cultural.
- Oceans, seas and marine resources are so important for New Zealand as an island nation. We have the fifth biggest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world, which is defined as the area of sea and seabed that extends from 12 to 200 nautical miles off shore. Our EEZ is the equivalent of approximately 430 million hectares – about 15 times the size of NZ’s land mass!
- Coastal and marine environments in New Zealand are home to a wide range of habitats and species. Ensuring conservation of these areas and unique wildlife is of great importance.
- The marine environment is strongly linked to New Zealand identity, the economy, human wellbeing, Te Ao Māori, recreation, food gathering, tourism and more. The health of marine environments and those that depend on healthy marine systems to survive and thrive is deeply connected.
Why is SDG #14 important for agriculture?
Freshwater and marine environments are closely connected due to our rivers eventually making their way to the sea. This means that environmental pressures in our rivers from land-based activities not only impact freshwater, but can also have a potential impact on marine habitats, species and ecosystems. For this reason, issues that are relevant in agriculture for the health of our freshwater are also directly relevant for us to manage for the health of the marine environment. Key pressures on New Zealands marine environments include sediment accumulation and excess nitrogen, phosphorus and E. coli from runoff and leaching.
What impacts can these pressures have on the marine environment?
- Elevated levels of nutrients, beyond what is natural in the environment, can lead to eutrophication. This can result in algal blooms and reduced oxygen levels, which becomes harmful for marine life and ecosystems.
- Sedimentation can impact water clarity but is also a key source of contaminants as nutrients and pathogens bind to sediment particles.
- Environmental impacts on the marine environment also have an impact on the mauri of marine ecosystems. In Te Ao Māori, mauri refers to the health and vitality of living systems. When systems have mauri, or are healthy and thriving, the mauri of people that are reliant on them is also strengthened. However, when the mauri of the environment is diminished it also diminishes the mauri of those reliant on what the environment provides. In short – healthy environment is fundamental for healthy people. If the environment suffers, so do the people.
The importance of reducing the environmental impacts of our farming practices for the benefit of freshwater AND marine environments reinforces the need to implement best management practices on farm that reduce nutrient, pathogen and sediment loads in water, irrespective of whether we live 50 km or 500 km from the coast.
Get to know what lives in your rivers and streams
- Have a go at a Beef and Lamb Stream Health Check.
- In the video below, Dr Russell Death of Massey University goes through some easy ways to check on the health of your waterway by looking at periphyton, fine sediment and macroinvertebrates.
- Undertake a more comprehensive Stream Health Assessment.
- Stream Health Assessments are becoming a commonly used tool on farm to assess and monitor the conditions of your stream/river, as well as to aid in looking a bit closer at the state of the life that these waterways support.
- These assessments are able to be done by farmers themselves. Many catchment groups or catchment collectives have access to SHMAK kits which aid in carrying out a stream health assessment, and even some regional councils have specific staff who can help with these assessments.
- The focus of this assessment is really similar to that of the Stream Health Check but it provides a bit more data collection that can be used to inform decisions on farm, monitor change over time, and also fulfill requirements of farm certification programmes.
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