Oceans, seas and marine resources

Photo: The risks of heavy fuel oil to the Arctic. Credit: HFO-Free Arctic

Concerted Efforts to Offset Damage Caused by Arctic Shipping

By Lowana Veal

REYKJAVIK (IDN) – The polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth is warming at an accelerating rate and as sea ice continues to melt away, Arctic waters are becoming increasingly navigable to vessels carrying heavy fuel oil (HFO). HFO, which is one of the world's dirtiest fuels, is not only virtually impossible to clean up in the event of a spill, but also produces higher levels of air and climate pollutants than other marine fuels.

: Lowana Veal; SUSTAINABILITY; Oceans, seas and marine resources; 27 June 2020

Massive Die-Off of Fish on Nigerian Coastline Linked to Toxic Discharge

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – An immense blanket of dead fish stretching across three states has sparked anger and frustration among communities along the Atlantic Ocean coastline in Nigeria. The area is known for oil spills that have polluted the waters and left fish and other wildlife inedible.

The massive die-off was first reported in February when community people from Ogbulagha Kingdom of Delta State raised an alarm on the schools of dead fish floating and littering their shores. The silvery fish graveyard stretched from Delta State through Bayelsa State to Rivers State.

: THE WORLD; Africa; 17 May 2020

Our Oceans Keep Our Health, The Economy and Our Lives Above the Waves

Healthy oceans: keeping Asia and the Pacific afloat

Viewpoint by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

The writer is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

BANGKOK (IDN) – Memories of idyllic beaches and sonorous waves may seem far away while we remain at home. Yet, we need not look far to appreciate the enduring history of the ocean in Asia and the Pacific. For generations, the region has thrived on our seas. Our namesake bears a nod to the Pacific Ocean, a body of water tethered to the well-being of billions in our region. The seas provide food, livelihoods and a sense of identity, especially for coastal communities in the Pacific island States.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 13 May 2020

Photo: A lone passenger rides an escalator on the New York City subway at one of the network's busiest stations. The city's tourist industry is likely to be decimated by COVID-19 for the rest of 2020. United Nations/Katya Pugacheva

UN Travel Organization Predicts Revival of Holiday Traffic

By Ronald Joshua

ROME | MADRID (IDN) – Tourism has been brought to a near-standstill by COVID-19, but the World Travel Organization (UNWTO) believes that once the pandemic has passed, the industry, which accounts for 10 per cent of global GDP, is in a unique position to help put the global economy back on its feet.

UNWTO is closely monitoring the new coronavirus crisis from its Madrid headquarters and collaborating with other UN agencies in finding ways to mitigate its impact.

: Ronald Joshua; UN INSIDER; 18 April 2020

Photo: Serena the Duong. Credit: Donna Kwan

UN Agency Honours UAE for Protecting Migratory Species

By Devinder Kumar

GANDHINAGAR; India (IDN) – The United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) has recognized the United Arab Emirates' Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) as a Migratory Species Champion Plus because of its contributions to the conservation of medium-sized marine mammal Dugong and African-Eurasian birds of prey.

The Dugong is a large, slow-moving animal which feeds on seagrass. The calm, shallow waters along the Abu Dhabi coastline offer the perfect environment for this marine mammal and are home to an estimated 3,000 individuals, part of the second-largest Dugong population in the world, shared with three other Gulf countries.

: Devinder Kumar; SUSTAINABILITY; Oceans, seas and marine resources; 18 February 2020

Photo: An adolescent girl conducts an experiment during a chemistry class in Kamulanga Secondary School in Lusaka, Zambia. Credit: UNICEF Photo/UN0145554/Karin Schermbrucker

Strengthening Women & Girls Participation in Ocean Science

Viewpoint by Michael W. Lodge

The writer is Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. ISA headquarters are in Kingston, Jamaica.

KINGSTON (IDN) – As we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February 2020, we are reminded of the need to renew our commitments to improve access for women from developing States to education and training, and ensure their increased participation in the field of ocean science, particularly in deep-sea scientific research.

: Opinion Editor; UN INSIDER; 10 February 2020

New Technique Converts Plastic Waste into High-Quality Plastic

By J W Jackie

RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Every year, around eight million tons of plastic makes its way to our oceans, with the yearly input expected to double by the year 2025. The problem is most visible in developing nations (where garbage collection and recycling systems are inexistent or sub-par) but developed nations also often have low recycling rates, and the ‘throwaway culture’ is endangering the lives of countless marine species.

: Admin; SUSTAINABILITY; Responsible Consumption & Production; 27 October 2019

Photo (left to right): Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Qu Dongyu, Director-General of FAO, and Patrick I. Gomes, Secretary General of ACP.

EU Boosts Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture in ACP States

OSLO (IDN | ACP) – The EU, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed at the Our Ocean 2019 conference on October 23 a €40 million, five-year programme to boost the development of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

[Fisheries and aquaculture in EU development cooperation: https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/fisheries-and-aquaculture-european-development-cooperation-state-play-2018_en]

: Admin; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; ACP Group of States; 24 October 2019

UN Reviews the SAMOA Pathway for Most Vulnerable Countries

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – Progress made in addressing the priorities of the highly vulnerable small island developing States (SIDS) will draw the focus of the United Nations General Assembly when it conducts a high-level review of the SAMOA Pathway on September 27 as part of the ACTION FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET that kicked off a week earlier at the UN headquarters.

Fifty two countries and territories are presently classified as SIDS by the UN OHRLLS (UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States). 38 are UN members and 14 are non-UN Members or Associate Members of the Regional Commissions.

: Ramesh Jaura; SUSTAINABILITY; Climate Action; 24 September 2019

Photo: Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet Speaking at the first-ever United Nations Trade Forum, organized by UNCTAD in Geneva, Switzerland, from 9 to 13 September 2019. Credit: Timothy Sullivan (UNCTAD)

Extinction ‘Imminent’ for Small Islands

By Sean Buchanan

NEW YORK | GENEVA (IDN) – Islands are often emblazoned across tourism pamphlets, glorified as the epitome of natural beauty and portrayed as idyllic places of escape. But this image is far from the dark reality they face.

Changes in sea level, temperature, precipitation, a growing number of extreme storms and floods, visible vulnerability of critical infrastructure such as ports and airports, growing unpredictability, and the fact that there is nowhere to go, is a daily threat for the 65 million people living in 57 small island developing states (SIDS) scattered throughout the world’s oceans.