Bloomberg Philanthropies Reinforces Investment in Oceans with $204 Million Commitment

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a $204 million investment to protect ocean abundance as part of the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative. Part of this commitment will help fund Oceana’s campaigns that advocate for science-based policies to protect marine habitat, fight the climate crisis, empower local artisanal fishers, and tackle key threats like overfishing and pollution.

“For eight years, Bloomberg has been our partner in winning policy victories to sustain the ocean’s ability to feed people and provide livelihoods, especially to small-scale fishers,” said Andrew Sharpless, CEO of Oceana. “Together we have worked to deliver protections for important marine habitats and find ocean solutions to the climate crisis. At this critical juncture for our ocean and climate, we are thankful for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ continued support.”

The new funding commitment will provide much needed resources to address major threats facing our oceans including overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution from offshore drilling and unnecessary single-use plastics, as well as the growing climate crisis. While our oceans have provided us with an invaluable service, absorbing more than 90% of all the excess heat trapped on Earth by greenhouse gas pollution, it has made them sick. Still, the oceans receive less than 1% of philanthropic climate funding. With this announcement, Bloomberg Philanthropies will help fill that funding gap and shift the attention of climate leaders and funders to ocean ecosystems.

“The health of the ocean is critically important to people’s lives and livelihoods around the world. At Bloomberg Philanthropies, we’ve had success uniting conservation groups, local leaders, and national governments to protect the ocean. Now we’re deepening and expanding that work with a major new investment,” said Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “The more international partners and funders we can bring together, the faster we can reach the ambitious target of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 – and the faster we can strengthen communities that depend on the ocean every day.”

With the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Oceana has won key victories for the oceans, including increasing transparency in Brazil’s fisheries management, establishing new vessel monitoring rules in the Philippines to stop illegal fishing and protect small-scale fishers, protecting the coral-rich Philippines Rise, and passing a first of its kind law in Chile to drastically reduce unnecessary single-use plastics. Thanks in part to funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Oceana, Google, and SkyTruth launched Global Fishing Watch in 2016, which provided the first global view of commercial fishing activity worldwide.

“Thank you to Bloomberg Philanthropies for their ongoing commitment,” added Sharpless. “Oceana looks forward to campaigning alongside our Bloomberg Ocean Initiative partners to win many more victories on behalf of the seas.”

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-third of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 225 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal, every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit www.oceana.org to learn more.