In 2021, we have a unique opportunity to break down silos and make connections; a chance to unite behind the ambitious targets our ocean planet needs.
If we show leadership by focussing on what is in our common interest, we can spend less time on what divides us and take a Values-Based Approach.
Our Africa, Our Ocean, Our Future
In the first-ever virtual event of its kind on the continent, a youth driven marine group called Youth4MPAs in partnership with WILDOCEANS, and supported by World Surf League PURE, The Pew Charitable Trusts and Oceans5 has launched an African Youth Summit focusing on unifying youth across Africa, engaging with global marine experts and amplifying their young voices to advocate for ocean protection.
Watch the official video launch here
Continue reading African Youth Unifying for Ocean Protection: African Youth Summit
As of today, public authorities, businesses, and local communities have a new valuable tool at their disposal to help them in the fight against plastic pollution. Seas At Risk has launched a multilingual interactive map offering over 150 best practices to reduce and phase out single-use plastics. The solutions shown have already proved to be effective, and can be easily replicated in other regions or developed on a wider scale. They have been collected from 27 European countries thanks to the contributions of member and partner organisations across and beyond the Seas At Risk network and the Break Free From Plastic movement.
Join Nekton Mission and the Schmidt Ocean Institute on 7th July for inspiring talks and breakout discussions on how to stimulate the public by engaging popular culture in ocean sciences and storytelling.
Continue reading Ocean Rising: The Quest to Inspire the Public
Dear World Health Organization
It was with dismay that we watched your latest Public Service Announcement on the Covid-19 vaccine. Conflating a serious and valid global health message with an equally serious and valid conservation challenge, using antiquated stereotypes to perpetuate a negative perception of sharks, is counterproductive to both messages.
The WHO espouses evidence-based decision-making and reporting. We therefore believe that you know the consequences of inaccurate messaging. We also believe that the WHO will know from experience that the few minutes in which an inaccurate message can be peddled takes decades of work and funding to remediate. This is no different in the conservation sector. It is therefore disheartening to see the WHO undermine credible marine science to achieve its message.
Continue reading Shark Attack Campaign Team responds to WHO PSA on COVID-19 vaccine
A new paper published today by Seas At Risk warns about the disastrous environmental consequences of a new mining boom while showing how it can be prevented. Opening more mines on land and pushing mining into fragile ecosystems like the deep sea to fuel economic growth is not a realistic way forward. Concrete alternatives to this model already exist and can make mining unnecessary.
On Thursday May 27th, Global Fishing Watch will launch the Global Fishing Watch Marine Manager, an innovative technology portal to help strengthen management of marine protected areas and other area-based conservation measures. Founded by philanthropist and ocean advocate, Dona Bertarelli, the technology aims to revolutionize our ability to dynamically monitor and conserve marine ecosystems.
The marine manager portal allows management authorities and researchers to monitor vessels involved in commercial fishing and other activities, such as tourism, oil drilling and shipping. Vessel information can be overlaid with environmental datasets such as salinity and sea surface temperatures to understand climate change impacts over time.
The first-of-its-kind technology puts scientific information at the fingertips of managers and researchers with the tools necessary to rapidly combine and analyze big data, and monitor vast ocean areas.
Global Fishing Watch wishes to acknowledge the founding vision and partnership from Dona Bertarelli, along with funding support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the National Philanthropic Trust and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Vibrant Oceans Initiative.
We would like to share with you the communications and social media toolkit which offers materials to enable you to support the launch across your channels. The shared google document includes top line messages and social media posts and assets, such as tiles and videos.
The report exposes the role played by the EU, its Member States, the UK and Norway in this final mining frontier and provides a comprehensive analysis of their existing policies on deep-sea mining. It makes the case for the EU and Member States to prohibit deep-sea mining in European waters and to push for a global moratorium, as well as to set strong binding targets for material footprint reduction, including a drastic reduction in primary metals use.
Opening remarks by Seas At Risk Executive Director Monica Verbeek will be followed by an overview of the report’s main conclusions and the state of play of deep-sea mining in Europe from co-author Joám Evans.
Ana Matias from Sciaena will then facilitate a panel focusing on three European countries, with Marie-Luise Abshagen (Forum Umwelt & Entwicklung, Germany), Ingegjerd Meyer (Naturvernforbundet, Norway) and Gonçalo Carvalho (Sciaena, Portugal).
There are less than three weeks until 8 June, make sure you have everything you need to make the most of World Ocean Day, that week, and the month of June! Check out the new 2021 Social Media Toolkit for content to post and instructions on how to join the World Ocean Day social media push! Also, download the 2021 World Ocean Day press release now and feel free to customize for your own organizations and utilize this June!
Save the date: The 2021 Youth-a-thon is happening 5-6 June! This 24-hour livestream event led and produced by youth allows young people around the world the opportunity to learn more about conservation efforts and join the movement to take action to protect our shared ocean. 24 hour schedule to be released soon!
Last but not least, don’t forget to register your event, activity or celebration now so we can promote and elevate it on the World Ocean Day social media platforms! If you have any questions leading up to 8 June, contact Emma Shahabi at eshahabi@theoceanproject.org
Attention all young professional wavemakers! Today is your last chance to apply for the #IMPAC5 Young Professionals Committee. Come together with other young people around the world to help shape the future of global ocean conservation. Applications are due tonight. For more information and details on how to apply [pointing finger emoji]: https://www.impac5.ca/young-professionals/join-the-young-professionals-committee/
#marineconservation #oceanconservation #marinemonday #marineprotection #oceanprotection #mpa #marineprotectedareas #30×30 #youngprofessionals #oneglobalocean
@IMPAC5Canada @IUCN @Youth4Nature
