David Levy – Launching the new Marinet with a Quest for Unity – Oct 14
We are now launched — HMS Marinet, the marine community network.
Well, really Marinet Ltd. But I hope for the former — a new ship of the line, crisp, full of promise and vigour. That’s a cue for you lot!
Our new entity must be accompanied by campaigning action. At the time when we parted from Friends of the Earth this was our promise to ourselves, and now is the time to deliver.
Deborah Wright, Marinet’s researcher, has written Conserving the Great Blue, a pamphlet designed to make people, communities and countries realise that globally we have to rethink how we manage the ocean and seas. This must be done with real enforcement under a new ratified United Nations Law of the Sea — an improved UNCLOSUNCLOS The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty..
To achieve this end, Marinet will be writing to all the coastal countries and their representatives, sending them a copy of Conserving the Great Blue with a letter extolling them to network together within the United Nations, forming a voting block for a new Law of the Sea.
This means lots of research and work by us. Stephen has already written to you, and some of you have replied. This is a major opportunity to impact globally. This work dovetails with major shifts in marine conservation development. Notably, Polly Higgins and Ecocide; The Honourable Al Gore on Climate Change; Sylvia Earle and Oceans Change, and many other marine think-tanks as well.
Are they unified in their approach?
So far, I believe that most tend to operate just within their own world. Common sense tells me that if we keep ourselves divided then the status quo will rule.
Therefore I will write to all of those who should be working together to unify under a common banner. Also understand that this issue of unity is a common thread in a lot of the work we are considering and doing.
Watch this space.
