Last month nearly 250 leaders gathered for a cross-sectoral discussion about our oceans at the Ocean Business Leaders’ Summit 2023.
Here’s a snapshot of what was discussed:
- Different knowledge, perspectives, experiences, expertise, and values inform the way we perceive and come to the ocean’s challenges and opportunities. Understanding those differences and seeking to fill our gaps will help situate our part to play, amongst many others.
- Listening to and recognising the role and knowledge of First Nations is critical to ocean discussion and the development of a future ocean economy.
- Equitable, ethical and respectful access to ocean knowledge and the ocean estate is complex but vital.
- The ‘ocean commons’ / ocean neighbourhood has no physical fences. Knowing who is in the neighbourhood is key to successful multi-use.
- Recognising Australia’s role and leadership in the Pacific region is important in our shared ocean neighbourhood.
- The rapidly moving dialogue on natural capital provides an opportunity for Ocean Stakeholders to collaborate with the Finance sector to create common language and shared understanding.
- Building trust and partnership amongst ocean stakeholders will be key to this ongoing work. Being open to unexpected connections and consequences may take your work to places you never imagined.
- Shared use of data across sectors will assist in: tracking sources of ocean pollution and debris; sharing Australia’s ocean estate; build capability for new innovation, tech and businesses
- How we strike the balance for ocean use and ocean protection will require respectful and open dialogue that is cross-sectoral and continues to connect conversation to uplift our collective understanding. This learning process never ends.
- Intergenerational conversation supports knowledge transfer and shared understanding of complex and dynamic topics. We all have a role to play in this.
- We are nature. We are ocean. We are not separate from it.
A Summit White Paper will be published later this month and we look forward to sharing that with you when it’s available.