Sri Lanka is known as the island, which is the pearl of the east. But today, like in most other countries, it is a case of casting pearls before swine. We have not only polluted the ocean around Sri Lanka but also for political reasons allowed India’s deep sea fisher folk to exploit our sea by indulging in bottom trawling damaging coral reefs and the habitats of other forms of marine species. 

On June 8, the United Nations marked the World Oceans Day with the theme being planet ocean: tides are changing. In a statement, the UN points out the ocean covers more than 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth. The ocean produces 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 around the world. Not to mention, the ocean is key to our economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.

According to the UN, even though all its benefits, the ocean is now in need of support. With 90% of big fish populations depleted, and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. We need to work together to create a new balance with the ocean that no longer depletes its bounty but instead restores its vibrancy and brings it new life.

The UN is joining forces with decision-makers, indigenous leaders, scientists, private sector executives, civil society, celebrities, and youth activist to put the ocean first.

Calling on all countries to join the UN celebration of the value of oceans, the world body says World Oceans Day reminds every one of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our Planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere.

The purpose of the Day is to inform the people 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.

This year, the UN on June 8 at its New York Headquarters hosted a hybrid celebration of the annual event and it was broadcasted live. 

Hosted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN, in partnership with the non-profit organization Oceanic Global, and supported by Italian luxury watch manufacturer Panerai, this year’s annual event shed light on how we can work together to ensure the ocean’s health and well-being.

In March this year, UN Delegates reached a historic agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters after nearly two decades of talks. Already being referred to as the ‘High Seas Treaty’, the legal framework would put more money into marine conservation and covers access to and use of marine genetic resources. 
In a message the UN Secretary General António Guterres says the ocean is the foundation of life. It supplies the air we breathe and food we eat. It regulates our climate and weather. The ocean is our planet’s greatest reservoir of biodiversity. Its resources sustain communities, prosperity and human health around the world. Humanity counts on the ocean. But can the ocean count on us? We should be the ocean’s best friend. But right now, humanity is its worst enemy. Human-induced climate change is heating our planet, disrupting weather patterns and ocean currents, and altering marine ecosystems and the species living there. Marine biodiversity is under attack from overfishing, over-exploitation and ocean acidification. More than one-third of fish stocks are being harvested at unsustainable levels. And we are polluting our coastal waters with chemicals, plastics and human waste. But this year’s World Oceans Day reminds us that the tides are changing.  

He says last year, the UN adopted an ambitious global target to conserve and manage 30 per cent of land and marine and coastal areas by 2030, as well as a landmark agreement on fisheries subsidies. At the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, the world agreed to push for more positive ocean action. A global, legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution is under negotiation. And in March, countries agreed to the historic High Seas Treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Realizing the great promise of these initiatives requires collective commitment. Sustainable Development Goal 14 — to conserve and sustainably use the ocean’s resources — hangs in the balance. This World Oceans Day let us keep pushing for action. Today and every day, let us put the ocean first.