Industry Leaders Come Together for World's First Sustainable Ocean Summit

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, April 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior representatives from a wide range of ocean industries will convene to address the sustainability challenges facing the ocean business community in a landmark summit.

The Sustainable Ocean Summit is the first international cross sectoral business conference on Corporate Ocean Responsibility. The conference, organised by the World Ocean Council in association with Golder Associates, will be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland on the 15th -17th June 2010 and will bring together representatives from varying marine industries including oil and gas, shipping, fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, tourism and marine technology.

Paul Holthus, World Ocean Council Executive Director said, "Although a wide range of industries use the same ocean, there is no forum that brings this diverse ocean business community together to communicate and collaborate on leadership in the responsible use of the marine environment. The Sustainable Ocean Summit is the first time that likeminded industry leaders from around the world will come together around the sustainability issues shared by all private sector users of the ocean and develop the collaboration needed to implement solutions."

The conference will open with an unprecedented Roundtable of Ocean Industry Association Leaders that will gather high level representatives from a range of international industry associations including the Oil and Gas Producers Association, International Chamber of Shipping, International Association of Dredging Companies, Global Aquaculture Alliance, Ocean Energy Systems, and the International Desalination Association. A plenary media panel will later address Improving Media, Public and NGO Understanding of Ocean Industries.

Summit sessions will address priority ocean industry issues including ocean zoning, offshore renewable energy, seafood interaction with other industries, the Arctic Ocean, climate change, ocean noise, marine policy and governance, and marine invasive species. The conference will move beyond the exchange of information to the initiation of cross-sectoral industry working groups focused on developing actions to address the critical marine stewardship challenges facing ocean industries. Collaboration on developing solutions to cross-cutting issues will create direct business benefits, such as cost savings through economies of scale in research.

The summit will conclude with a half day seminar dedicated to the rapidly evolving issue of Marine Spatial Planning. The seminar will focus on ensuring ocean businesses understand this emerging approach to marine governance, developing the role of industry in ocean zoning and facilitating proactive industry collaboration and involvement in marine planning efforts.

Paul Holthus added, "The Sustainable Ocean Summit provides an unprecedented opportunity for the ocean business community to come together to develop the policies and practices to address the sustainability issues that are increasingly affecting access to marine areas and resources, and achieve the business benefits that can result from collaboration and leadership."

The World Ocean Council is the international, cross-sectoral industry alliance for private sector leadership and collaboration in ocean stewardship.

For event program and booking details please visit http://www.oceancouncil.org.

For further information please email [email protected] or call Paul Holthus +1-(808)-277-9008.

SOURCE Golder Associates

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