Kerry issues call to save oceans

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday sounded the alarm on the perils facing the world’s oceans, calling for a global strategy to save the planet's life-giving seas. ‘Let’s develop a plan’ to combat over-fishing, climate change and pollution, Kerry urged as he opened a 2-day conference of world leaders, scientists and industry captains in Washington. ‘We as human beings share nothing so completely as the ocean that covers nearly three-quarters of our planet,’ the top US diplomat said, adding that ‘each of us shares the responsibility to protect it.’ Heads of government and state as well as ministers from some 80 countries gathered with researchers and experts from the fishing, plastics and farming industries for the conference at the State Department. In a major announcement, President Anote Tong of the low-lying Pacific nation of Kiribati said despite concerns about the economic fallout all commercial fishing would be banned from January 2015 in the Phoenix Islands protected area. ‘Addressing the challenges of climate change, calls for very serious commitment and sacrifice,’ Tong told the conference. ‘The projected loss of revenue weighed very significantly in our consideration but in the final analysis we made the decision to persist with effective sustainable strategies,’ he said, according to AFP.