World Ocean Day is celebrated on 8 June, an initiative set up in 1992 during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This day reminds the world that the ocean is essential to our existence. Firstly because they provide most of the oxygen we need to live, but also because they provide us with food and medicine and are home to many animal and plant species. We must therefore take care of them and continue to make humans aware of the negative impacts they can have.
So June 8 is the day on which we must take care of our oceans. It is a time to mobilize on a sustainable ocean management project, but also to pay tribute to their beauty and richness.
In 2018, the theme is "Clean Oceans" and focuses on initiatives to prevent pollution from plastics and to encourage concrete solutions for a healthier ocean.
Plastic pollution is responsible for major damage to our oceans:
- 80% of all pollution in the oceans comes from waste coming from the land.
- 8 million tonnes of plastic a year end up in the oceans, wreaking havoc on wildlife, fisheries and tourism.
- Plastic pollution costs the ocean 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals per year.
- Globally, plastics account for $8 billion in damage to marine ecosystems each year.
- Fish eat plastic... and we eat those fish.
Fighting plastic
On a small scale, but in order to mobilize the greatest number, the UN is organizing a campaign called #Fight PlasticPollution. The idea is simple, choose a plastic object to recycle and make a selfie photo or video to show how you will do it. Finally, share your achievement on social networks with the keywords #Fighting PlasticPollution and to mention @ONUEnvironmt . Tag 3 friends, companies or celebrities, who will in turn have to work against plastic pollution within 24 hours!
