联合国秘书长潘基文2012年生物多样性国际日致辞（中英对照）

Secretary-General’s Message on the International Day for Biological Diversity<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

生物多样性国际日致辞

New York, 22 May 2012

2012年5月22日

Oceans cover almost three-quarters of the surface area of the globe.  They are home to the largest animal known to have lived on the planet – the blue whale – as well as billions upon billions of the tiniest of microorganisms.  From sandy shores to the darkest depths of the sea, oceans and coasts support a rich tapestry of life on which human communities rely.  Fisheries provide more than 15 per cent of the global dietary intake of animal protein.  Oceans and coastal areas provide invaluable ecosystem services – from tourism to protection from storms.  Minuscule photosynthesizing plants called phytoplankton provide 50 per cent of all the oxygen on Earth.

　　海洋覆盖着地球表面近四分之三的面积。海洋是地球上生存过的已知最大动物蓝鲸以及数以亿计极小微生物的家园。从沙质海滩到最幽暗的海底深处，海洋和海岸养育着人类赖以生存的丰富多彩的生命。渔业提供了全球15%以上的动物蛋白摄入量。从旅游业到保护人们不受暴风雨的危害，海洋和沿海区提供了各种宝贵的生态系统服务。称为浮游植物的微小光合植物提供了地球上全部氧气的50%。

Yet, despite its importance, marine biodiversity – the theme of this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity – has not fared well at human hands.  Commercial over-exploitation of the world’s fish stocks is severe.  Many species have been hunted to fractions of their original populations.  More than half of global fisheries are exhausted, and a further third are depleted.  Between 30 and 35 per cent of critical marine environments – such as seagrasses, mangroves and coral reefs – are estimated to have been destroyed.  Plastic debris continues to kill marine life, and pollution from land is creating areas of coastal waters that are almost devoid of oxygen.  Added to all of this, increased burning of fossil fuels is affecting the global climate, making the sea surface warmer, causing sea level to rise and increasing ocean acidity, with consequences we are only beginning to comprehend.

　　然而，海洋生物多样性——今年生物多样性国际日的主题——虽然意义重大，在人类手中却命运不济。世界鱼类受到过度商业开发的情况颇为严重。很多鱼种被捕捞得所剩无几。全球渔场一大半已经耗尽，另有三分之一已经枯竭。关键性海洋环境——例如海草、红树林和珊瑚礁——估计有30%至35%已被毁坏。塑料废弃物不断造成海洋生物死亡，来自陆地的污染导致大片近岸水体几乎无氧。不仅如此，化石燃料的更多燃用也在影响全球气候，致使海面升温，海平面升高，海洋酸度提高，而我们对各种后果只是刚刚开始认识。

But, there is hope.  A scientific review conducted in 2011 showed that, despite all the damage inflicted on marine wildlife and habitats over the past centuries, between 10 and 50 per cent of populations and ecosystems have shown some recovery when human threats were reduced or removed.  However, compared to the land – where nearly 15 per cent of surface area is under some kind of protection – little more than 1 per cent of marine environments are protected.

　　但是，希望还在。2011年进行的一项科学审查表明，尽管过去几个世纪以来，海洋野生生物和生境遭到了种种损害，但在人类威胁减少或消除的情况下，10%至50%的种群和生态系统已经显示出恢复迹象。不过，与陆地相比——近15%的陆地已得到某种保护——得到保护的海洋环境仅勉强超过1%。

Lately, some progress is being made, particularly with the establishment of large-scale marine reserves and documenting areas of ecological or biological significance in open-ocean and deep-sea habitats.  On this International Day for Biodiversity, as we look ahead to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June, we need to recommit to building on these advances.

　　最近正在取得一些进展，特别是在建立大规模海洋保护区以及记录开阔洋和深海生境中的生态和生物重要性方面。值此生物多样性国际日，在期待6月份的联合国可持续发展大会(里约+20)之时，我们需要承诺巩固这些进展。

Rio+20 must galvanize action to improve the management and conservation of oceans through initiatives by the United Nations, governments and other partners to curb overfishing, expand marine protected areas and reduce ocean pollution and the impact of climate change.  By taking action at the national, regional and global levels, including enhancing international cooperation, we can achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Target of conserving 10 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2020, a crucial step in protecting marine biodiversity for the future we want.

　　里约+20必须激发行动，通过联合国、各国政府和其他伙伴发出的倡议，改善海洋管理和保护，防止过度捕捞，扩大海洋保护区，并减轻海洋污染和气候变化的影响。通过在国家、区域和全球各级采取行动，包括促进国际合作，我们能够实现爱知生物多样性目标，到2020年实现对10%的海洋和沿海区的保护——这将是为我们希望的未来保护海洋生物多样性的一个关键步骤。