ICS welcomes proposals to protect oceans
Taking environmental protection ideas and recommendations seriously Proposals to protect the world's oceans have been welcomed by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the principal trade association for merchant shipowners. ICS recommends that the Global Ocean Commission's (GOC) ideas should be taken seriously.The GOC wishes to see a greater level of environmental protection, especially with respect to areas of economic activity, other than shipping, that currently may not be adequately regulated. Issues addressed in its inquiry report, launched in New York last night, include preserving global fishing stocks, preventing ongoing damage to ecosystems caused by land based industry and agriculture, and preventing the acidification of the sea.ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe said: "The shipping industry is very fortunate in already having an established framework of global Conventions and rules that have been developed by the United Nations International Maritime Organization. For the most part these IMO rules are fully implemented and enforced worldwide and have directly contributed to the improvement of shipping's environmental performance. However, shipowners are global citizens who will share the GOC's concern about the vacuum that still exists with respect to wider governance and protection of the oceans."Ideas set out by the Global Ocean Commission include the ...
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