Have you ever thought about what it would feel like as human beings living under water? Well, unless you have worked at sea before, you can relate to some extent. Yes, to some extent because you are on top of the waters not below… Imagine your safe place, here on dry lands being targeted and polluted by sea creatures! The sea creatures share the exact sentiment; nobody likes to be provoked. The United Nations have outlined 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the Vision 2030, which is only attainable if done collectively. Everyone has a part to play in achieving these goals. Goal number 14 speaks of: “Life below water” which is geared towards reducing marine pollution and restoring ecosystems.
Marine pollution is an existing phenomenon that does not only affect lives below water, but lives on land. According to Planet Aid, the ocean provides human beings with 70% of the oxygen we breathe. On a daily basis toxic chemicals are discharged into the sea killing thousands of marine lives. This can also cause human beings to develop dangerous health conditions overtime, if they are exposed to these chemicals. These chemicals come from oil spills from vessels, waste from factories, the improper disposal of garbage into the sea, and the waste that is washed into the sea after it rains.
The coastal waters are deteriorating due to pollution. Over 100 million marine lives are lost yearly when their environment is polluted. This can be avoided by educating the public on how to properly dispose their garbage. Marine Biologists and the government should conduct surveys and develop campaigns to find out how people dispose their garbage, and make them aware of the consequences that comes with the pollution of the sea. On the other hand, vessel owners should do constant check-ups and maintenance of vessels before they are deployed to sea. This should be done to avoid oil spills, regarding of how small the spill is.
It is the onus of humans to protect marine lives. By protecting the marine lives we are protecting ourselves. We should make it mandatory to execute coastal cleanups, consume only seafood that is healthy and sustainable, use reusable items while learning how to recycle at the same time, and lastly, support organizations are focused on protecting marine lives. If all of this is done, the world will achieve goal number 14 by 2030.