Inaction is threatening ocean sustainability: study

Progress on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) - to conserve and sustainably use the oceans - has been going backward since 2015, with only three of its ten targets on track to be achieved by 2030. Oceans have become 30% more acidic since the industrial era, marine 'dead zones' have quadrupled since 1960, and plastic pollution is expected to reach 150 million tonnes by 2025. The gap between promises and actions from self-proclaimed ocean champions, such as Norway's permits for offshore drilling and France's opposition to excluding destructive fishing practices, is a major obstacle to progress. Accountability and funding are needed to address these challenges. (Nature)