12 October 2010: Oceans-related Ministers of the members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) discussed climate change impacts on oceans at a meeting titled “Healthy Oceans and Fisheries Management towards Food Security,” held from 11-12 October 2010, in Paracas, Peru.

The meeting focused on four themes: sustainable development and protection of the marine environment; climate change impacts on the oceans; free and open trade and investment; and the role of oceans in food security.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Ministers adopted the Paracas Declaration, which contains a section devoted to the “Impacts of climate change on the oceans.” In the Declaration, Ministers express support for APEC economies to cooperate in gathering and sharing scientific knowledge on climate change and its impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture. They also encourage APEC economies to increase efforts to improve the capacity of coastal communities, fishing industries, and resource managers to respond and adapt to climate change. APEC Ministers further commit to promote increased stakeholder participation and public awareness about climate change impacts on oceans and their resources, and to pursue efforts through appropriate APEC working groups and other APEC fora to improve understanding of the role of the oceans in climate change to support community resilience and planning for adaptation.

APEC oceans-related Ministers are to convey the outcomes of the Paracas meeting to the first APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security, which will be held on 16-17 October 2010, in Niigata, Japan, and to the APEC Leaders’ meeting scheduled in November 2010, in Yokohama, Japan. [APEC Press Release] [Paracas Declaration]