Tata joins world leaders to form ocean eco-group

Ratan Tata, who retired as chairman of the Tata Group two months ago, is taking up a new role by joining hands with global leaders to work for a sustainable ocean environment.

The leaders, including former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin and World Trade Organisation director-general Pascal Lamy, have launched the 'Global Ocean Commission' (GOC), which aims to bring together eminent people from different parts of the world for a new initiative to restore health and productivity to oceans.

It is an independent body of international leaders and aims to reverse the degradation of the ocean and restore it to full health and productivity, GOC said in a statement.

''During 2013-14, the commission will analyse key threats to international waters known as the 'high seas', which make up almost half of the Earth's surface but are not owned by any one country,'' it said.

This large proportion of the global ocean is under severe and increasing pressure from overfishing, damage to important habitat, climate change and ocean acidification, the statement added.

The commission will publish its final recommendations early in 2014, shortly before the UN General Assembly begins discussions on protecting the high seas biodiversity, it said.