Tuesday, 8 June 2021
Theme: The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods
Today 8th June 2021 marks the World’s Ocean Day which is observed every year same day to create awareness among humankind about the numerous benefits it has enjoyed from the ocean. This year, the day is observed with the theme 'The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods.'
The World’s Ocean Day was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was then declared official in 2008 by the United Nations, which has hosted the occasions with different themes each year. However, while the governments and marine authorities are given the burden to ensure the blue planet is clean and safe, the responsibility also falls on the people and marine travellers to observe the theme and make the day relevant.
So, what makes this day different from others occasions?
Today’s celebrations are planned to be virtual due to the ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, the public can also join the celebrations through https://oceanic.global/, a link provided by the United Nations for the public to participate in the discussion. Again, this will be the second virtual World’s Ocean Day meeting due to the pandemic situation.
The occasion is organized in partnership with the non-profit organization Oceanic Global and other partners and aims to promote the essence of oceans within the communities and ecosystems.
The Day’s Significance
The ocean is home to most of the blue planet's biodiversity. People, plants, and animals depend significantly on marine life for survival since the oceans cover almost 70% of the earth's surface and keep the planet warm by providing 50% of the planet's oxygen. Therefore, both human and animal activities should strive to balance and promote a connection that is inclusive, innovative, and beneficial to the ocean and the life inside it.
Today's meeting, therefore, is focused on creating environmentally friendly yachting. As superyachts travel to beautiful destinations around the globe to experience the finest natural beauties, it is obvious that the industry contributes to diverse environmental damage. This can be through single plastic usage or importing provisions from other sides of the world. So, the question is how can the yachting industry make its operations environmentally friendly?
The responsibility of protecting the oceanic life should be given to both the charter guests and the yacht crews. For instance, before a yacht enters a marina port, the Captain or Chief Officer should inform the crew about the necessary garbage disposal and recycling plans. The charter guests and the yacht crews must adhere to the rules and follow proper recycling plans to avoid disposing of garbage into the ocean.
The interior team on board can also buy reusable water bottles and the yacht can have water filtrations systems built under the pantry and mess sinks to avoid purchasing many plastic bottles. These filtration systems can offer room temperature or cold water, sparkling water, or have instant boiling taps to save on storage and reduce the quantity of plastic on board. Moreover, the yacht authority can also contribute to ocean clean-up projects such as 4Ocean, which clean plastic and waste from the ocean.
These are some of the actions that can promote ocean cleanliness and save marine life. However, more adjustments can be made when aiming for a bigger picture. Therefore, as the celebrations go on for the day, the responsibility of preserving the blue planet will always fall on us; the ocean users.
(Written and edited by: The Decision Maker team)
Comments