Our Oceans – Our Future

Our Oceans - Our Future

Our Past, Our Present And Whatever Remains Of Our Future, Absolutely Depends On What We Do Now” – Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer.

Presently terrorism is considered as world’s biggest threat towards the safety and preservation of human lives. However, there is one more threat which silently headed our way. The marine pollution poses severe threat to life under water as well as for land based lives.

Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. Throughout history, oceans and seas have been vital medium for trade and transportation.

The marine pollution reflects, the various kinds of contamination to sea waters mainly due to human created wastages, which is in varied forms of  chemicals, plastics, insoluble particles, un-treated sewerage water, CO2 emission by sea transport, oil spillages by any incident to tanker ships, agricultural or industrial wastes to name few.

As per studies of numerous international marine groups currently eighty percent of world ocean water contains plastic which is resulting in devastating effects to the marine life mainly to fishes, birds, turtles, sea shells and different lives under water.

United Nation claims that by 2050, the quantity of plastic and plastic origin materials in world oceans will be double of that of fishes in it. There is no doubt this is an alarming and dangerous development. As a matter of fact the marine biologists and oceanographers explains that our oceans are in continuous threat actions of human beings which include but not limited to unregulated illegal fishing activities,  increasing earth temperatures due to global warming caused by burning fuels and cutting trees, industrial , non industrial chemicals and plastic. Hundred tons of tins, plastic bottles, shoppers, plastic straws and other insoluble wastes is continuously settling in-depths of sea and bring the life under water to an end gradually but seriously.

According to a research that came out from “Ocean Conservancy” an American Marine Protection Organisation, waste and pollution which is visible on the surface of ocean is just five percent of what is in-depth surface of the seas.

As compared to earlier few decades the production of plastic related materials is much higher due to the increasing concepts of portable usages. Approximately near about eight million tons of plastic is dumped in sea which is causing disastrous effects on marine life. Only fourteen percent of world’s plastic production is recyclable, while we still need some advance level of technologies to make remaining eighty six percent of plastic recyclable.

Mentioned earlier, the United Nations in their study reveal that if these harmful effects of insoluble plastics not stopped, then by 2050 there will be no sea animal left who has not ingested these polluted items. According to sea experts three hundred thousands of sea lives are lost annually due to marine pollution.

In 2015, The General Assembly Of United Nations adopted a set of 17 universal goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years. On number 14 is: “Conserve and Sustainably use the Oceans, Seas, and Marine resources”

The important goals that are set for 2030 are quoted below:

• By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
• By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
• By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
• By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing
• Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources.

Marine Pollution & Pakistan:

Indeed the Government of Pakistan has internalized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as National Goals and has also created special task force under ministry of planning, development and reforms; however, we have to see what efforts are being made at ground level to achieve these goals underlined goals.

Along with the world, we in Pakistan also observes 8th June, every year as World Ocean Day, different seminars, walks and discussion takes place, various non-governmental, non-profit organisations arranges beach cleaning campaigns with very limited resources. As without government supports people cannot do much by themselves obviously.

Statistics released by Ministry of Ports and Shipping, in Pakistan 0.47 billion gallons of untreated sewerage water drained into Arabian Sea, which includes industrial wastes too. Further to endorse above stats, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency along with WWF Pakistan indicates that 80% of marine pollution here is due to Industrial Wastages caused by near about 10 thousands of small to large scale industries.

Secondly the Karachi Port, is one the world’s polluted ports where oil spillages from ships is a common factor. Having no proper treatments available for disposing of the regular city garbage a big part of this garbage also went in to the sea.

Due to these deadly causes, the marine life mainly fishes are nearly vanished from the sea shores of Sindh and fishers have to go deep sea for fishes. This is to mention here that “Oceans serve as the world’s largest source of protein, with more than 3 billion people depending on the oceans as their primary source of protein as well as Marine fisheries directly or indirectly employ over 200 million people” – (source: UN) 

There is a lot yet to be done and government has to move million step ahead of plans and stats.

Marine Pollution & Efforts Of MSC:

Being the part of shipping industry and proud member of MSC family, we are concerned to secure our oceans and marine future,  and thus we are pleased to announce that in June’17, Mediterranean Shipping Company joins with other 13 members in founding Global Industry Alliance an initiative by International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The goal of the alliance is to support the actions undertaken by the shipping sector and its related industries toward a low-carbon future.

MSC not only committed with these moral causes on papers but it has actually taken steps with dollar two fifty million investment in vessel retrofitting and many other distinguished initiatives and record reduction in Carbon Emissions  by 6.6 percent per cargo-ton-mile.

MSC’s commitment and investments to the betterment of environment and for green technologies show our unmatchable commitment towards a cleaner planet.

No Water – No Life

No Blues..! No Greens!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading the article, this has been contributed for MSC Agency Pakistan In-House Quarterly Newsletter.

The images/names/trademarks used are sole property of their respective owners/companies.

Happy Reading!!