Celebrated each year on June 8 since 2009, World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans.
The lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe, the oceans are also a major source of food and medicines and a critical part of the biosphere. The concept of a ‘World Oceans Day’ was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a way to celebrate our world’s shared ocean and our personal connection to the sea, as well as to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help protect it.
The UN General Assembly recognized the important contribution of sustainable development and management of the resources and uses of the oceans and seas to the achievement of international development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, and designated June 8 as World Oceans Day.
World Oceans Day 2018 was celebrated with the theme “Preventing Plastic Pollution and Encouraging Solutions for a Healthy Ocean”. Based around SDG 14, last year’s event encouraged individuals to reduce the amount of plastic they used to reduce the plastic pollution that is causing tremendous harm to our marine resources.
Marine biodiversity
The health of the ocean is in decline. Marine biodiversity is becoming increasingly degraded. In this context, the United Nations has made ocean protection a priority.
At the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, the idea of a day dedicated to the celebration of the oceans emerged. It was meant to sensitize the general public to the crucial role they play in our livelihood, as well as the different ways to protect them.
The importance of gender equality — in particular for the effective conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources — is increasingly recognized. However, there is very little data and research on these issues, and a concerted action towards gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is still needed in all ocean-related sectors to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5.
The focus is also on how ocean science can lead to more responsible gastronomy and sustainable consumption.
Chefs have a vital role in preserving ocean resources through their influence on the diet of mainstream audiences, as well as restaurateurs around the world. From this perspective, World Oceans Day aims to highlight the link between science, sustainable consumption, the influence of chefs on consumer habits, new generations of cooks and sustainable marine products, as well as the presence of women chefs committed to the cause.
-PR