Plastic is already cluttering vast swaths of ocean and killing marine life and birds.

Plastic is already cluttering vast swaths of ocean and killing marine life and birds.
Photo Credit: Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo

Plastic in oceans could outweigh fish: conference

If nothing is done, plastic could outweigh fish in the world’s oceans by the year 2050, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the opening of the first United Nations conference on oceans.

“Pollution, overfishing and the effects of climate change are severely damaging the health of our oceans…

“Rising sea levels threaten entire countries. Oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, causing coral bleaching and reducing biodiversity. Changing currents will have a serious impact on weather patterns; we must prepare for more frequent storms and droughts,” said Guterres.

Coral bleaching in Hawaii was caused by warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures in late September 2015. There has been massive coral bleaching for two years running at the Great Barrier Reef.
Coral bleaching in Hawaii was caused by warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures in late September 2015. There has been massive coral bleaching for two years running at the Great Barrier Reef. © Dan Dennison/Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources via AP

‘Our most vital life support system’

The five-day conference began on World Environment Day on June 5th and is attended by leaders, diplomats and activists from almost 200 countries. Gueterres told them they are there to turn the tide.

Calling the oceans “our most vital life support system,” Guterres noted that “conflicting demands from industry, fishing, shipping, mining and tourism are creating unsustainable levels of stress on coastal ecosystems.”

‘Preserving life itself’

He called for an end to the “artificial dichotomy between economic demands and the health of our seas,” and for strong political leadership, more funding, more study and more sharing of best practices and experiences.

“We must put aside short-term national gain, to prevent long-term global catastrophe.  Conserving our oceans and using them sustainably is preserving life itself.”

“The health of our oceans and seas is inextricably linked with the health of our planet and all life on earth,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“The health of our oceans and seas is inextricably linked with the health of our planet and all life on earth,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Categories: Environment & Animal Life, International
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