United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres has said that “the ocean shoulders bear much of the burden, as the planet continues to face the triple crises of climate disruption, biodiversity loss, and pollution”.
Speaking during the One Ocean Summit taking place in the northern French coastal city of Brest, the UN chief said that the ocean which serves as a giant carbon and heat sink is growing warmer and more acidic, causing its ecosystems to suffer.
In his video message at the summit, Guterres said “Polar ice is melting and global weather patterns are changing”.
“The communities who rely on the ocean are hurting as well”.
Read also: Mayors sign agreement to protect coastal cities
He explained that more than three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods, adding that fish stocks are being threatened by over and destructive fishing practices, along with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
He painted a grim picture of dwindling marine species, dying coral reefs, coastal ecosystems turned into “vast dead zones” as they serve as dumping grounds for sewage and nutrients and seas choked by plastic waste.
While noting that “We must change tack”, the UN chief said that it’s been 40 years since the signing of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adding that the importance of legal certainty in the ocean is paramount.
He said that the second UN Ocean Conference, which will be held in Lisbon from June 27 to July 1, 2022, was “an opportunity to cement the role of the ocean” in global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.
He maintained that there was the need for more efforts to be made to protect the ocean, adding that a “sustainable blue economy can drive economic progress and job creation” while protecting the climate.
“We need more, and more effective partnerships, to address land-based sources of marine pollution…urgency in the deployment of offshore renewable energy, which can provide clean power and employment, and…[less] fossil fuels in the ocean economy,” he said.
To promote a sustainable ocean economy, Guterres highlighted the need for global partnerships and investment along with increased support to ocean science “so our actions are based on knowledge and understanding of the ocean”.
Story was adapted from Premium Times.
