Oceans threatened by humans

Namibia’s economic future and the livelihood of many of its people are highly dependent on the state of the ocean.

It is therefore imperative that the challenges oceans face, because of harmful human activities, urgently be addressed, President Hage Geingob said at the World Oceans Day celebrations last week.

Held at Walvis Bay, the day’s theme, “Revitalisation: collective action for the ocean”, was focused on the need to conserve marine resources as well as to protect, maintain and restore biological diversity, productivity, resilience and the intrinsic value of oceans for the benefit of current and future generations.

Geingob said maritime transport in Namibia accounts for 85% of the country’s domestic trade, while marine diamonds are the largest commodity and the biggest contributor to the GDP.

“Additionally, Namibia’s thriving fisheries sector provides employment and economic prosperity to thousands of Namibians, as well as food security.”

Unique border

The President said Namibia is one of the few countries in the world where the desert meets the sea.

“Consequently, our ocean provides a tourism gateway to our attractive coastline. The recent discovery of oil, the Kudu gas fields and the development of green hydrogen, present countless socio-economic opportunities to the Namibian people, but at the same time also challenges us on how best to exploit these resources for the wellbeing of all Namibians, while giving due regards to conservation.”

Global statistics show that oceans compromise 97% of the earth’s water and supply nearly half of the oxygen people breathe.

“They absorb the carbon dioxide we produce and provide food and economic opportunities to billions of people.”

He said oceans also assist in regulating global weather and temperature.

Act now

As part of the commitment to protect the Ocean, Namibia, in 2018, joined 13 other ocean-based countries to declare 100% protection of the ocean.

“Our call for action recognises that we have a collective responsibility to protect and restore the health of our ocean and build a sustainable ocean economy that can provide food, empower coastal communities, power our cities, transport people and goods as well as provide innovative solutions to global challenges.”

Geingob said urgent action is required because our oceans are polluted, and continue to be at risk of pollution, particularly from plastics and oil.

Threats

Studies have revealed that the eight million tonnes of plastic that enter the sea annually, are transformed into microplastics that enter the food chain and impact ecosystems as well as animal and human health worldwide.

Additionally, overfishing, particularly illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, commonly known as IUU, are major causes of loss of biodiversity, said Geingob.

“Every fish or marine resource stolen from the Namibian sea means the loss of a job or income or business opportunity for countless Namibians. We must endeavour to close down on all possible avenues for illegal fishing in Namibian waters as a matter of utmost priority.”

The head of state warned that the continued increase in carbon emissions is causing ocean acidifications which destroy biodiversity and cause sea levels to rise, which in turn triggers floods that threaten coastal communities who rely on ocean biodiversity for their welfare.