Biodiversity for Sustainable Development

SDG 14

Contributions of Biodiversity to SDG 14: Life Below Water

The conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in marine and coastal ecosystems is a key aspect of sustainable development. Biodiversity underpins all fishing and aquaculture activities, as well as other species harvested for foods and medicines. Because breeding in aquaculture is so far limited to few species, wild fish still play an important role for aquaculture stocks.

Conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity, including the use of marine protected areas, is essential to ensure that the world’s oceans, seas and marine resources remain vital for current and future generations. The more effective management of fisheries that are used for food, protection of the marine environment from pollution, including from mariculture, and destructive actions are critical actions to be taken.

Effective management of terrestrial ecosystems, particularly agroecosystems, is also critical to minimizing nutrient losses to marine systems and negative impacts on the marine environment and its resources.

Related SDG 14 Targets

  • SDG Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution (related to Aichi Targets: 8)
  • SDG Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans (related to Aichi Targets: 6, 11, 15)
  • SDG Target 14.3: Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels (related to Aichi Targets: 10, 19)
  • SDG Target 14.4: By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics (related to Aichi Targets: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 19)
  • SDG Target 14.5: By 2020, conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information (related to Aichi Targets: 5, 11)
  • SDG Target 14.6: By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation (related to Aichi Targets: 3, 4)
  • SDG Target 14.7: By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing states and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism (related to Aichi Targets: 2, 4, 6, 7, 14, 17)

Relevant Aichi Biodiversity Targets
Biodiversity values integrated
Incentives reformed
Sustainable production and consumption
Habitat loss halved or reduced
Sustainable management of aquatic living sources
Sustainable agriculture aquaculture and forestry
Pollution reduced
Ecosystems vulnerable to climate change
Protected areas
Reducing risk of extinction
Ecosystem services
Ecosystem restoration and resilience
Biodiversity strategies and action plans
Sharing information and knowledge
   

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