Turkish world record-holder free-diver and divers of the Underwater Federation Sahika Encumen dives amid plastic waste in Ortakoy coastline to observe the life and pollution of Bosphorus in Istanbul,
Topic

Protect Marine Life

Overview

The global ocean teems with life, and it contributes to the vital cycles that keep people and our planet healthy. But the seas are vulnerable to overfishing, loss of habitat such as seagrasses and mangroves, ineffective fisheries management, plastic pollution, and declining biodiversity. These mounting losses affect the coastal communities that depend on the ocean for food and jobs.

Pew’s ocean work supports efforts to build collaborative governance systems to guide activities like fishing, pollution, and conservation, and to create protected areas that maintain and restore the health of marine ecosystems. These activities not only support nature, they also benefit the people who rely on marine resources for their livelihoods.

Featured

Fishing vessels, many with dark hulls with white wheelhouses, crowd together on a cloudy, gray day at the port of Busan, South Korea. Thousands of blue and red cargo boxes are stacked behind the ships, with large blue and red lifts. Skyscrapers and the hills of the city are seen in the distance.
尽管取得了进展,但非法渔获仍继续流入市场

非法、不报告和不管制 (IUU) 捕捞是对全球海洋可持续性的最大威胁之一。研究人员估计,全球至少五分 之一的渔获是非法捕捞的,沿海国家/地区每年的总损失介于 100 亿至 230 亿美元之间。

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通往第一代公 海保护区之路

地平线之外,距离海岸超过 200 海里的海域称为公海。这些水域不受任何国家管辖,约占海洋的三分之二, 覆盖了地球表面的近一半。这些水域还有很多地方有待探索,但是科学家们知道,它们充满生命,是海洋生 物多样性最大的储存库之一。公海支持着丰富的渔业;为鲸鱼、鲨鱼、海龟和海鸟提供栖息地和迁徙路线; 并且孕育着非凡的生态系统,如深海珊瑚和其他庞大的海洋生物。

通过互联实现保护:南大洋保护让全球获益

南极洲南大洋的健康环绕南极洲的南大洋偏远而寒冷。这片水域对海洋生物和全球海洋至关重要,因为这里 拥有地球上独有的生物多样性,其中包括那些以独特方式适应低温的物种。对海洋生物和全球海洋至关重要。 这些水域是南极磷虾的家园,这些微小的甲壳类动物可以移除大气中的碳,并且是许多重要本地物种的重要食 物来源,例如帝企鹅、帽带企鹅和阿德利企鹅,以及豹斑海豹和食蟹海豹。

Sardine school
世贸组织如何拯救鱼类的未来

在世界贸易组织 (WTO) 就遏制政府向其渔业部门发放有害渔业补贴的提议进行谈判之际,皮尤慈善信托基金会 (The Pew Charitable Trusts) 和一些权威科学家共同开发了一个建模工具,以分析这些提议的潜在效果。

Information Sharing Is Key to Ending Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing
信息共享是终结非法、未报告和不受管制捕捞的关键

过度捕捞是海洋面临的最大威胁之一。联合国粮农组织 (FAO) 在其关于世界渔业状况的 2020 年两年期 报告中指出,三分之一的鱼类种群被过度捕捞,其余近 60% 的鱼类种群无法维持捕鱼量的进一步增加。

Fact of the Matter

90%
OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT
is made up of the deep sea, yet scientists have seen less than 1% of it.
10%
OF OCEAN CARBON
is stored each year by seagrass meadows.
25%
HIGHER FISHERIES PRODUCTIVITY
is projected through restoration efforts.
>1/2
OF THE WORLD'S OCEAN
is traversed by industrial fishing vessels.
130M
METRIC TONS OF PLASTIC
enter the environment worldwide each year, equivalent to about 40 pounds per person.
>1/3
OF THE WORLD'S FISH POPULATIONS
are being fished beyond sustainable levels, according to U.N. data.
50%
OF THE WORLD'S MANGROVES
are at risk of collapse by 2050.

OUR WORK

Our Work

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Good health is important to everyone. Pew conducts research and provides information and fact-based recommendations to state agencies, hospitals, researchers, and other health partners to help them provide better care. We find and share evidence-based practices to improve Americans’ health and well-being, including services that can prevent suicide, improve mental health care, and treat substance use disorder.

Bustleton Free Library in Philadelphia, PA, on Thursday September 12 2024.

Communities throughout the country share common needs: affordable connections to broadband Internet, modern and reliable energy infrastructure, effective responses to mental health challenges, and ways to resolve legal disputes more quickly and fairly. To address these issues, Pew collaborates with states and local governments to find and promote evidence-based solutions that help provide stability and opportunity.

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Nonpartisan, fact-based improvements in federal policy can create jobs, lower costs, and help the nation prepare for the future. When our research shows that small changes can have a big impact, we work across party lines to improve national challenges like housing affordability, internet access, energy reliability, and health care.

Economic opportunity is the foundation of American society. Pew supports national, state, and local efforts to expand opportunity and promote financial well-being. Our work helps people pay off student loans, navigate court proceedings such as debt collection, buy or rent a home, access affordable internet, and save for their retirement.

Turkish world record-holder free-diver and divers of the Underwater Federation Sahika Encumen dives amid plastic waste in Ortakoy coastline to observe the life and pollution of Bosphorus in Istanbul,

The global ocean teems with life, and it contributes to the vital cycles that keep people and our planet healthy. But the seas are vulnerable to overfishing, loss of habitat such as seagrasses and mangroves, ineffective fisheries management, plastic pollution, and declining biodiversity. These mounting losses affect the coastal communities that depend on the ocean for food and jobs.

The House Chamber at the Kentucky State Capitol is shown as the legislature tries to wrap up its session

States and cities are the “laboratories of democracy” in America—the places where lawmakers and governors look for new ways to help their communities succeed. Whether in Pew’s hometown of Philadelphia or any of the 50 state capitals, we help elected leaders respond to the needs of their citizens, use public dollars wisely, fix outdated policies, and build a better future for all.

A view of steep cliff, grand canyon and Colorado river from Toroweap overlook.

Conserving natural spaces conveys benefits far beyond the gains to wildlife and their habitats. As scores of studies show, protecting and restoring lands and waters, particularly when done in close partnership with local communities, also improves people’s lives—and local economies—by increasing tourism and outdoor recreation.