World Oceans Day: Overfishing and plastics threaten our oceans

The United Nations celebrates World Oceans Day this Thursday, June 8.

The United Nations celebrates this Thursday the world oceans daywhile working on the development of the first legally binding international treaty on plastic pollution, also in the marine environment.

Like industrial fishing and plastic waste, global warming is a major threat to the marine ecosystem.

“We are seeing impacts around the world and disproportionately in countries that have not been greenhouse gas emitters. But, in addition, we are seeing the local impact of fishing,” said Lucy Woodall, associate professor of conservation biology and policy. Marine from the University of Exeter and Senior Scientist at the Nekton Foundation.

“It can be unreported, unregulated or poorly regulated fishing activities, which have a direct impact on the ocean. And what we know is that when these multiple stresses build up, it creates a massive impact on the ocean, on its functioning and in the benefits it provides to us and to the entire planet.

The average temperature of the surface of the oceans has increased by about 0.13 °C per decade in the last 100 years, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“There are two really important things we can do to help, and one is to reduce global emissions. We have to do that immediately and also establish large-scale protected areas,” says Cassandra Brooks, an associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. .

World Oceans Day is an opportunity for nations to work together to find viable national and international solutions to mitigate the damage caused by the climate crisis.

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