Muscat: The Sultanate joined the world on Tuesday in marking World Oceans Day, which falls on June 8 every year.
This year’s occasion is themed “The Ocean: Life and Livelihood,” and it marks the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The event aims to reach the Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”, by 2030.
The ocean covers more than 70% of the planet. It supports humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth.
The ocean is the source of at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, it is home to most of earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people worldwide. Furthermore, the ocean is key to the world’s economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.
With 90% of big fish populations depleted, and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, more is taken from the ocean than can be replenished. To protect and preserve the ocean and all it sustains, creating a new balance is needed, rooted in true understanding of the ocean and how humanity relates to it. A connection must be built with the ocean that is inclusive, innovative, and informed by lessons from the past.
Thus, the purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans, said the UN on its website. --ONA
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