On 15 September 2015, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published its annual Living Blue Planet report in which it announced that the marine Living Planet Index (LPI) was manifesting a 52 percent decline in marine vertebrate populations since 1970. The report further pointed out that the fish species most directly tied to human well-being, including the fish that constitute up to 60 percent of protein intake in coastal countries and that support the livelihoods of millions of small-scale fishers globally, had fallen by half during these past decades.

The affirmation made by the WWF report have reaffirmed once again that human development activities are seriously taxing the resilience of the marine and coastal resource base. Data published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) back in 2012 indicated that 87% of global fish stocks are fully or overexploited. However, persistent trends of exploitation and degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems have unequivocally revealed that endeavours to date have been insufficient and that more needs to be and must be done.
Increasing pollution and unsustainable coastal development continue to contribute to the loss of biodiversity, ecological function and the decline in provision of environmental services. Climate change threatens to remove literally the very foundations of broad swathes of coastal development whilst rising atmospheric CO2 levels are undermining fundamental aspects of many marine ecosystems through ocean acidification; changing ocean chemistry at a speed faster than at any time in the last 300 million years. Studies carried out by international bodies such as FAO have revealed that, whilst oceans retain a significant potential to meet sustainable development needs, such potential is subject to set conditions of maintaining oceans in a healthy and productive state or restoring them to such a state wherever required.
Recognition of the importance of oceans for sustainable development began with the UNCED process (in Agenda 21) and was further highlighted by the ‘Rio+20 Conference’ held in 2012. Also emanating from the Rio+20 Conference outcome document was the concept of the ‘Blue Economy’, which espouses the objective of “improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” and endorses the same principles of low carbon, resource efficiency and social inclusion.
De-coupling of socioeconomic development from environmental degradation lies at the core of the ‘Blue Economy’ concept. In order to address effectively what may often be misperceived as the conflicting forces of development and environmental safeguarding, the ‘Blue Economy’ approach is founded upon the assessment and incorporation of the real value of the natural (blue) capital into all aspects of economic activity (conceptualisation, planning, infrastructure development, trade, travel, renewable resource exploitation, energy production/consumption). Efficiency and optimisation of resource use are paramount whilst respecting environmental and ecological parameters. This includes where sustainable the sourcing and usage of local raw materials and utilising where feasible “blue” low energy options to realise efficiencies and benefits as opposed to the business as usual “brown” scenario of high energy, low employment, and industrialised development models.
Building upon the premise that healthy ocean ecosystems are more productive and a must for sustainable ocean-based economies, FAO launched the ‘Blue Growth Initiative’ aimed at restoring the potential of oceans and wetlands by introducing responsible and sustainable approaches to reconcile economic growth and food security together with the conservation of aquatic resources.
The FAO ‘Blue Growth Initiative’ looks to harness the potential of oceans, seas and coasts to eliminate harmful fishing practices and overfishing by incentivizing approaches that promote growth, improve conservation, build sustainable fisheries and end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It also seeks to ensure tailor-made measures that foster cooperation between countries as well as act as a catalyst for policy development, investment and innovation in support of food security, poverty reduction, and the sustainable management of aquatic resources.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has adhered to the ‘Blue Growth Initiative’ as a patron country. Under the framework of the initiative, Iran would be in a position to pursue a sustainable development strategy for its fisheries and aquaculture sectors. In this respect, the blue growth initiative would provide a sound framework that would enable Iran to promote policies and good practices for farming of fish, shellfish and marine plants in a responsible and sustainable manner. It would also support implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) and related instruments to restore fish stocks as well as promote good fish production practices and growth in a sustainable manner.
The initiative would also be instrumental in instituting efficient seafood value chains, embedding improved livelihoods for local fishery communities and in promoting regulatory frameworks and approaches to restore vital coastal habitats, biodiversity and eco-system services (including carbon capture, storm and wave defences, etc.). Ultimately, application of the ‘Blue Growth Initiative’ would contribute to reinforcing the blue economy approach in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, whereby the economic development of these sectors would not undermine the concurrent safeguarding of the marine environment.

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Serge R. Nakouzi is the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to the Islamic Republic of Iran and to the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO