By Gul Hameed
Stretched over about 70% of the earth’s surface, world oceans are elemental for life on our planet. 50% of oxygen in our atmosphere and protein for billions of people on earth come from our life-sustaining oceans. World oceans also rivet the world together allowing for global connectivity through maritime commerce and related industries. Estimates show that by 2030, approximately 40 million people will be employed in the sea-based industry.
From fishing and sea-mining to trade and maritime tourism, humanity is inextricably tied to world oceans for sustenance and survival. However, man’s undue intervention into the ways of nature has accelerated the process of decline impacting the health of the oceans with far-reaching implications for human existence. There is a dire need to base our future policies on sustainable and ocean-friendly practices to transition into a sustainable future, the one that guarantees our survival.
We depend on our oceans for food. Fishing alone, from catch to the consumer, produces not only food for billions of people but also creates millions of jobs worldwide. A considerable percentage of animal protein consumed by humans comes from marine fish.
Tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, swordfish and the like are the main fish catch for human consumption. Nearly 260 million people are employed in the coastal fishing industry of which many directly engage in capturing fish and many other work in related industries.
Maritime tourism has now become a booming industry worldwide. With a thriving middle class and rapidly increasing travel facilities, now there is greater ease of mobility, which has led to a rise in global maritime tourism.
Recreational activities i.e. boating, coastal ecotourism, swimming, snorkeling cruising, diving, wildlife watching, mangrove tourism and recreational fishing are immensely popular with tourists. With over 1.1 trillion USD global turn-over, marine tourism industry has become a catchword in the global economy.
For many island nations like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and others, tourism is a major contributor to their GDP. Approximately, no fewer than 2.4 million people are employed in the maritime tourism industry and the number is likely to increase significantly by 2030. Statistics of the World Tourism Organization show that for every tourist, 2 direct and 6 indirect employment opportunities are created which is a promising statistic encouraging more investment in this sector.
Aforementioned are only some of the most important aspects in which world oceans have sustained life on earth by providing food and supporting global economy. However, in turn, we should have been a little more considerate towards our life-sustaining oceans. The health of the earth’s oceans is under severe threat because of harmful human activities. We are exploiting ocean resources faster than they can replenish.
Due to overfishing, illegal fishing, the use of harmful fishing gear and the destruction of the marine environment, world’s oceans are experiencing an alarming decline in fish populations. This puts human nutrition security and other biodiversity at stake. It goes without saying that this deplorable damage is taking place largely due to our irresponsible and unsustainable practices.
Marine pollution is another man-made hazard taking its toll in the form of diminishing marine biodiversity. Seventy-nine percent of all the plastic we make ends up in the oceans and will take another 1000 years to degrade. It is immensely harmful to marine wildlife as fish mistake plastic for food. Each year, nearly one hundred million marine animals perish because of plastic pollution alone. Industrial waste and other chemical pollutants dumped into the rivers, too, end up in the oceans causing severe damage to marine life.
Today’s interdependent world could not have been imagined without maritime commerce. About 55000 merchant ships, four thousands ports and nearly 1.5 million seafarers active everyday underpin modern day globalization. This large-scale maritime activity also has damaging impact on environment and ocean health. Harmful carbon emissions, oil spillage and other pollutants from maritime transport press heavily on ocean health and marine biodiversity.
Similarly, maritime tourism too is not without its downsides. Careless tourism practices cause pollution, destroy animal life, and disturb human and animal communities. Major negative impacts resulting from unsustainable tourism practices include marine pollution, soil degradation, landscape erosion, rise in the sea level, and loss of marine resources i.e. destruction of coral reef.
Apart from that, the rising levels of greenhouse gases are accelerating climate change with threatening implications for the near future. Glacial melt down, rising sea levels and the temperature have added greatly to the already strained conditions. Marine biodiversity has to battle with rapidly changing and threatening environmental conditions. Acidification of oceans due to pollutants is yet another concern. All this comes down very heavily on the health of our oceans and consequently, on human existence.
Without healthy oceans and related ecosystems, life on earth, especially human existence is impossible. Presently, the pace at which we are polluting and pillaging the oceans has brought us to the verge of an apocalypse. In fact, with nearly 200 million tons of plastic in our oceans, with waters increasingly becoming toxic, and with marine ecosystems dying at an alarming pace, we cannot hope for any future.
To reverse the damage done, there is a dire need to mend our ways in which we affect the oceans and life forms in them. There’s a need to develop sustainable fishing as well as tourism practices so that sea-based resources can keep up with human consumption and have enough time to replenish. Responsible action at government and individual level can save us from an imminent doom. Let us all awake.
