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World Oceans Day 2019

Why Celebrate World Oceans Day?

We celebrate World Oceans Day to remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe. The purpose of the Day is to inform the public 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. They are a major source of food and medicines and a critical part of the biosphere. In the end, it is a day to celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the ocean.

The 8th of June is observed internationally as World Oceans Day. While the day has been unofficially celebrated since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, in December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to officially recognise World Oceans Day on June 8 each year.

This special day is an opportunity to celebrate the world’s shared oceans and to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in people lives. The oceans are essential to food security and the health and survival of all life. They also power our climate and are a critical part of the biosphere. World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans.

World Oceans Day aims to raise awareness of the role of the oceans and the importance of conserving and protecting our marine environment.

Observance of World Oceans Day in South Africa

The observance of World Oceans Day in South Africa allows us to highlight the impact of oceans on our country and the various ways in which oceans contribute to our country. Celebrating the day provides the department with an opportunity to highlight the considerable challenges we face in dealing with marine pollution, maintaining the oceans’ capacity to regulate the global climate, supply essential ecosystem services and provide sustainable livelihoods and safe recreation.

The celebration of the day coincides with and forms part of the dedication of June as National Environment Month.

World Oceans Day Focus 2019

Focus for 2019: Gender and the Ocean

We have an opportunity to explore the gender dimension of humankind’s relationship with the ocean.

This year, we strive to build greater ocean and gender literacy, and to discover possible ways to promote gender equality in ocean-related activities such as marine scientific research, fisheries, labour at sea, migration by sea and human trafficking, as well as policy-making and management.

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 Battle Against Plastic Pollution

This year, the President of the General Assembly launched ‘Play It Out’, a global campaign against plastic pollution. Decades of overuse and a surge in single-use plastics has led to a global environmental catastrophe. Today, 13,000,000 tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean every year, what among other damage, kill 100,000 marine animals annually. While most plastics are expected to remain intact for decades or centuries after use, those that do erode end up as micro-plastics, consumed by fish and other marine wildlife, quickly making their way into the global food chain.