Message from Rear Admiral (R) Mukhtar Khan HI(M), Director General Institute of Maritime Affairs (IMA), on the occasion of World Oceans Day 2017
The ocean has been an incredibly important part of human history, making our blue planet unique in solar system. Oceans have played an important role to support life since its origin on earth. Oceans cover 71% of the earth part, 97% of earth’s water and millions of species. Naturally, oceans regulate the global climate and are the ultimate source of the water that sustains all life on Earth, from coral reefs to snow-covered mountains, from tropical rain forests to mighty rivers, and even deserts. However, the ability of the oceans to provide their essential services is being threatened by climate change, pollution and unsustainable use.
It is quite inspiring that the conservation action theme for World Oceans Day 2018 is “preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean”. 80% of all pollution in the sea comes from land, including some 8 million tons of plastic waste each year. The plastic waste chokes waterways, harms communities that depend on fishing and tourism, kills turtles and birds, whales and dolphins, and finds its way to the most remote areas of the planet and throughout the food chain on which we ultimately rely.
Plastic trash is a serious problem for our oceans and especially for all the animals that call it home. There is a growing threat that the plastic waste could soon outweigh all the fish in the oceans, but together we can be part of the solution.
We, at Institute of Maritime Affairs, are celebrating the World Oceans Day on 8 June 2018 at Karachi and Islamabad campuses of Bahria University thus pledging our all possible support towards conservation of the oceans ecosystem by highlighting the problem of plastic pollution through advocacy and awareness raising campaign, as well as social networking for bringing more coordinated and collective efforts in future.
I am optimistic that we can stop this preventable tragedy and significantly reduce marine pollution, including plastic, with collective efforts to make the difference by doing simple things like carrying your own water bottle, coffee cup and shopping bags, recycling the plastic you buy, avoiding products that contain micro-plastics and volunteering for a local clean-up. Federal and provincial governments should also initiate special projects to address the issue of marine pollution due to plastic.
The ocean has been an incredibly important part of human history. Millions of species live under the ocean.20000 out of this is identified. It is believed that life started on earth from oceans. Oceans cover 71% of the earth.97% of earth’s water under oceans. Japan, Norway hunting whales inspite of ban on pretext of research. Oil exploration also harming whales.20% of marines species have extinct. 20% of coral reef have got destroyed . 29% of ocean grass have got destroyed .
Plastic was invented as alternative to metals. When astir, cadmium, color added to plastic it becomes toxic. In contact of heat, plastic releases toxic chemicals. Sunlight, microwave oven, hot food can be source of this heat. Polythene increases thalamite in blood. Skin, respiratory, breast ,reproductive organs related diseases occur due to this. Women working in plastic manufacturing factories are under high risk.32 types of cancer can happen due to contact with plastic. FMCG ,pharma companies use plastic in large number. 1 Rupee pouch sachet of shampoo regarded innovation, but plastic pollutes.
Many people living in nations at Pacific ocean in Google searched on topic submerged due to climate change.
75%plastic goes to oceans. Only 25% of plastic remains on land. Plastic destroys fertility of land. Microbeads form of plastic used in shampoo, toothpaste pack ,which got transferred in arctic In 2009 first World ocean day was celebrated. This year theme is ‘Our ocean our future’.
Precautions-
1.Old plastic bottles should not be used for drinking.
2.It should be mentioned on plastic product whether it is recyclable or not.
3.One should not throw plastic bags in sea, ocean
4.Plastic toys, utensils should not be used.
This is the goal of the Global Ocean Science Report, launched at the United Nations Ocean Conference by UNESCO — this records for the first time where and how existing ocean science capacities are empowering society, sustaining the environment and generating knowledge to conserve ocean resources for all. Our message is clear — much has been done to promote and finance ocean science, but much more is required to fill the capacity gaps.
‘Business-as-usual’ is not enough to deliver the future we want by 2030. Achieving SDG14 calls for new science-based solutions and their transformation into informed policies and decisions. This is why UNESCO and partners are calling for 2021-2030 to become the International Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, in order to provide Governments, the scientific community, civil society and all other actors with a framework for coordinating and consolidating the observations and research needed to achieve SDG14.
We invite everyone interested to join us and help transform ideas into a broad plan of concerted action with shared goals and responsibilities.
World Oceans Day is an opportunity for all of us to take measure of the global sustainable development challenges we face and to unite for the ocean we need for the future we want.
World Oceans Day is a great day for the public to visit their local aquarium or zoo to learn about and celebrate the incredible marine life in our oceans.
Don’t live by the ocean? Never been sailing or surfing? Don’t worry, everyone can play an important role in protecting the ocean– on World Oceans Day and every day! Whether we live on the coast or miles away from the sea, we are all connected to the ocean and can take action to positively impact ocean health.
Coastal hotels and resorts have a chance to turn tourism into activism, empowering visitors by helping them to learn more about the challenges faced by the beautiful environments that surround them.
The Honolulu Strategy: A Global Framework for Prevention and Management of Marine Debris | UNEP & NOAA • English
Will you stop using single use plastic bags, bottles and straws to help our ocean?
Plastic trash is a serious problem for our ocean, and especially all the animals that call it home, but together we can be part of the solution.
Our Ocean, Our Future
This year, we celebrate World Oceans Daywith the first-ever United Nations Ocean Conference. This ground-breaking event brings together Heads of State, high-level dignitaries and actors from across the world, to build partnerships and strengthen the commitments needed to implement the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — to conserve and sustainably use an ocean that gives humankind the keys to its survival, from oxygen to a well-functioning climate, to key elements of our natural and human heritage.
A healthy ocean requires robust global knowledge of ocean science. We cannot manage what we cannot measure, and no single country is able to measure the myriad changes taking place in the ocean.
For this, we must nurture, mobilize and harness the best scientific knowledge.
A healthy ocean requires robust global knowledge of ocean science. We cannot manage what we cannot measure, and no single country is able to measure the myriad changes taking place in the ocean. From Fiji to Sweden, from Namibia to the Arctic, all Governments and partners must share knowledge to craft common science-based policies.
Share this poll in honor of #WorldOceansDay on June 8!
World Oceans Day is a global day of ocean celebration and collaboration for a better future. This site serves as a central coordinating platform for World Oceans Day, with free resources and ideas for everyone – no matter where you live – to help expand the reach and impact of World Oceans Day on June 8 and year-round.
Become a leader against plastic pollution by teaching the World Oceans Day Plastic Pollution Lesson Plan. This lesson was designed to help young people inspire their peers to take action. It’s easy to follow and can be done from anywhere!
Join others and make a commitment on social media to stop using single use plastics.
Don’t live by the ocean? Never been sailing or surfing? Don’t worry, everyone can play an important role in protecting the ocean– on World Oceans Day and every day! Whether we live on the coast or miles away from the sea, we are all connected to the ocean and can take action to positively impact ocean health.
Why celebrate World Oceans Day?
We celebrate World Oceans Day to remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe. 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. They are a major source of food and medicines and a critical part of the biosphere. In the end, it is a day to celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the ocean.
Action focus for 2018: preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean
Plastic pollution is causing tremendous harm to our marine resources. For example:
• 80% of all pollution in the ocean comes from people on land.
• 8 million tonnes of plastic per year ends up in the ocean, wreaking havoc on wildlife, fisheries and tourism.
• Plastic pollution costs the lives of 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals per year.
• As
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Change starts with you
There are many things we can do as individuals to reduce our plastic consumption. Remember: Use less plastic and recycle the plastic you must use. Use these hashtags in social media to spread the word to help clean up our ocean: #WorldOceansDay, #SaveOurOcean.
As in previous years since 2014, the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea is recognizing on 8 June the winners of the Annual World Oceans Day Oceanic Photo Competition in an event at United Nations Headquarters.
Oceans and the Sustainable Development Goals
The Declaration of World Oceans Day in 2008 catalysed action worldwide. Twenty-five years after the first Oceans Day took place in Rio de Janeiro at UNCED, a special event on June 8th marked its celebration during the United Nations Ocean Conference held from 5-9 June 2017. The Ocean Conference was convened to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Our planet is drowning in plastic waste. The increasing production and use of disposable plastics is choking the oceans and smothering nature – threatening marine life and the well-being of other creatures. Early this year, a dead male sperm whale that washed ashore in Murcia, Spain was found to have died from ingesting 64 pounds of plastic debris.1 In India, cows foraging for food in open dumps swallow plastic materials, which cause them to suffer a slow death.2 Birds, dolphins, turtles, elephants, and a host of other species are dying from ingesting various plastic items – from bags to caps to lighters, and other disposable plastic items. Perhaps a grave reminder of the impacts of plastic pollution is the fact that more and more scientists and researchers are finding plastics contamination everywhere: in our oceans and waterways, in marine life and sea creatures, in sea salt and our drinking water, in the food chain and in our bodies! Studies confirm that humans are ingesting thousands of microplastic particles year after year, and that human blood carries with it some of the most persistent and toxic chemicals associated with plastics. What all this is doing to our health and well-being is now the subject of increasing public concern and scrutiny. Despite the alarming evidence, industry – including companies in the retail and fast moving consumer goods sectors – continues to flood the planet with single-use and non-recyclable plastic . A report from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation in partnership with the World Economic Forum estimates that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 if drastic measures are not taken to move away from our disposable plastic culture.3 Today, the world consumes an estimated 5 trillion plastic bags per year and only about 1% is recycled.4 We have produced more plastic bags in the last decade compared to the last century.5 The ubiquity of plastics and their resistance to decomposition have made plastic pollution a global issue of crisis proportion. In December 2017, all 193 member countries of the United Nations agreed to start monitoring the amount of plastic they put into the ocean and to explore ways to make it illegal to dump waste in the seas. Moreover, an increasing number of countries, states, provinces, cities, municipalities, and institutions wall over the world have been adopting policies and measures to curb plastics use and pollution. A particular target of such restrictions and prohibitions are the disposable or single-use plastics (SUPs), which are generally intended to be used only once and disposed of immediately thereafter. These include plastic bags, bottle caps, lids, straws, food containers and wrappers, coffee stirrers, cutlery, plastic water bottles, sachets, wet wipes, and other disposable packaging for healthcare and cosmetic products. Microbeads are also the subject of increasing restrictions in a growing list of countries.
Marine debris is defined to include any anthropogenic, manufactured, or processed solid material (regardless of size) discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the environment, including all materials discarded into the sea, on the shore, or brought indirectly to the sea by rivers, sewage, stormwater, waves, or winds.1 Marine debris may result from activities on land or at sea. The marine debris problem is global in scale and intergenerational in impact. On the one hand, it is a comparatively simple problem: marine debris is tangible and results principally from human behavior. On the other hand, it is extraordinarily complex, with multiple causes and factors combining to affect the nature, quantity, and distribution of debris around the world. As with other complex environmental problems, no single solution is possible. Indeed, marine debris involves many societal and economic dimensions. Because of this complexity, addressing marine debris requires collective and collaborative efforts of a wide cross-section of civil society (local communities, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and individual citizens), governments, and the private sector to implement a broad suite of sustained, strategic, and coordinated initiatives. Many countries and international organizations have been tackling the marine debris problem for decades, with significant signs of progress. The Honolulu Strategy: A Global Framework for the Prevention and Management of Marine Debris (Honolulu Strategy) was developed to support and strengthen these efforts and catalyze new efforts around the world. The Honolulu Strategy serves as a template for global efforts addressing the problem of marine debris. This framework is not designed for direct implementation by any one country, organization or group, but as a means to support and connect actions implemented by various stakeholders in various geographic contexts and at different levels of governance. The Honolulu Strategy is a globally applicable tool that serves two main purposes: • To describe and catalyze the multi-pronged and holistic response required to solve the problem of marine debris • To guide monitoring and evaluation of global progress on specific strategies at different levels of implementation—including local, national, regional, and international efforts and achievements The Fifth International Marine Debris Conference, held in the US State of Hawaii in March 2011, served as a catalyst for development of the Honolulu Strategy. Prior to the conference, recommendations from the four previous international marine debris conferences were compiled and analyzed to identify recurring themes. An expert working group was formed to develop the structure and draft content of the Honolulu Strategy. Working group members reached out to
colleagues throughout the world to identify ongoing initiatives and future plans. The draft elements of the Honolulu Strategy were developed and distributed to conference attendees prior to the conference. A number of mechanisms were used before, during and after the conference to develop, review, and incorporate comments (as appropriate) into the Honolulu Strategy. 1.1 What’s in the Honolulu Strategy The Honolulu Strategy is a framework for a comprehensive and global collaborative effort to reduce the ecological, human health, and economic impacts of marine debris worldwide. This framework is organized by a set of goals and strategies applicable all over the world, regardless of specific conditions or challenges. The Honolulu Strategy specifies three overarching goals focused on reducing threats of marine debris: Goal A: Reduced amount and impact of land-based litter and solid waste introduced into the marine environment Goal B: Reduced amount and impact of sea-based sources of marine debris including solid waste, lost cargo, ALDFG, and abandoned vessels introduced into the sea Goal C. Reduced amount and impact of accumulated marine debris on shorelines, in benthic habitats, and in pelagic waters Linked to each goal is a cohesive set of strategies (see Section 3.0). A list of potential actions that could be implemented under each strategy are presented in Annex 1. Conceptual models and results chains (Annex 2) were used to develop the framework for the Honolulu Strategy (FOS 2007, 2009; Margoluis et al. 2009). Conceptual models can serve as useful tools for civil society, government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and the private sector to identify marine debris issues. Conceptual models document assumed causal links between direct and indirect threats to targets of concern and strategies to address these threats. For example, the lack of capacity and options for proper waste storage (on ship) and disposal (in port) leads to dumping at sea2. Both of these indirect threats lead to the direct threat of plastic and other solid waste present at sea. Strategies to address these direct and indirect threats include increasing awareness, providing incentives for proper waste storage and disposal, and others. Results chains were used to causally link strategies to a set of intermediate results that lead to achievement of each goal. These causal links represent a set of assumptions that can be tested through implementation and monitoring of individual strategies. For example, the strategy to develop and promote use of economic incentives and convenient options for waste storage at sea and disposal at port reception facilities would lead to a chain of intermediate results. Increased availability of low-cost, convenient storage and disposal options would increase use of those
REAR ADMIRAL (RETD) MUKHTAR KHAN HI(M)
Director General IMA