Spotlight: President of 71st session of UN General Assembly calls for efforts to save ocean
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E-mail Xinhua, August 16, 2017
HONG KONG, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The ocean is in trouble and let's embark together on the shared voyage to save the ocean, said Peter Thomson, president of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, on Wednesday.
"I want to talk with you about a matter of critical importance to our world -- the health of the ocean. I want to talk with you about how each of us can help remedy the cycle of decline in which the ocean's health has been caught," he told the media during his visit in Hong Kong.
Destructive fishing practices, overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing are putting pressure on marine ecosystems that point towards an ecosystem collapse, he said, adding that nearly one third of all fish stocks are now below sustainable levels.
STARTING FROM NO PLASTIC BAG
He called for more efforts on marine protection, including promoting ocean literacy, helping nurture a culture of conservation, restoration and sustainable use of the ocean, and supporting marine science research.
For a common individual, he believed one can just start from carrying your own bag to supermarket.
Plastics are now the most prevalent forms of marine pollution, contributing an estimated 60 to 80 percent of all marine debris, Thomson said.
"Research suggests that by 2050, almost 99 percent of seabirds will have ingested plastics, and that unless we change our ways, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish," he said.
He called on people to take steps in daily lives to prevent and reduce marine pollution. For example, to stop using single use plastic bags in supermarket.
"This simple act when replicated by millions of people every day stands to make an enormous difference," he said.
He also called for more efforts to minimize carbon footprint in order to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
SAVING DISAPPEARING CORAL REEFS
Born in Fiji in 1948, Thomson is a diver.
He has seen the facts of dying coral reefs and believed it is like seeing tropical rain forests cut down, being replaced by scattered trees.
"When you have dived on a reef which has millions of life forms, thousands of different colors, you go back and swim at that same reef and see nothing but big white desert, it's a tragic thing," he said.
"Experiencing that in my life time really means it's unacceptable for me not to do something to try to reverse the cycle of decline," he said.
"We have to face the fact now we are in a trajectory of ocean warming. It will carry on for the rest of the century, so we have to work to mitigate the changes," he noted.
HONG KONG VERY RESPONSIBLE IN OCEAN PROTECTION
Thomson has been coming to Hong Kong ever since he was a young fellow as his wife was born here.
He has noticed big changes in Hong Kong.
Sanitation has improved, especially in the harbor in the last 20 years, and this is important for the environment because sewage is a global problem in terms of pollution and Hong Kong has been very responsible in moving on with that, he noted.
He visited some facilities for educating the young people on the marine environment and believed they are "world-class".
The facilities can help conservation and most importantly educate the young people about sustainable use of ocean resources, he said.
"There is only one ocean -- all rivers, seas, ocean and clouds are connected. Either we continue to ignore the damage we are doing, or we decide to safeguard ocean's health," he said. Enditem
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