Pinas, sumali sa ‘global call’ kontra marine plastic waste

SUMALI ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa agarang panawagan na tugunan ang malawakang plastic waste sa buong mundo na patuloy  na nagdudumi sa karagatan.

“For many Filipinos, the sea is livelihood and life for all Filipinos as a nation it is our definition as such. We are a people of water, we’re a maritime and archipelagic country, with more than half our population, living and making a living in coastal zones,” ayon kay Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. sa pagdiriwang ng  World Oceans Day, kahapon, Hunyo 8.

“The threat of the loss of the oceans and its boundaries are not just existential in the broad sense, rather they are day-to-day crisis that spell out how much of a decent life is at all possible,” ayon sa Kalihim.

Sa kanyang mensahe, kinumpirma ng Kalihim ang commitment ng bansa sa  Sustainable Development Goal No. 14, na naglalayong protektahan ang  marine biodiversity.

“SDG 14 tells us to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources. To this end, we must stop the scourge of marine plastic pollution, protect marine biodiversity, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction,” anito.

Sinang-ayunan din ni Locsin ang  pinagsama-samang aksyon para sa karagatan na kinakailangan na ngayon sa gitna ng  “unprecedented, barely understood threats to it on top of climate change and global warming.”

Maliban sa microplastics and mismanaged coastal development, sinabi ni Locsin na ang  regional disputes ay mayroon ding epekto sa karagatan na mayroong  artificial island-building at drilling activities na sumisira sa coral reefs at “pushing marine ecosystems over the brink”.

Sakop ng karagatan ang 70% ng  planeta at nakapagpo-produce ng 50% ng oxygen sa mundo.

Sa ngayon, may  90% ng ‘big fish populations’  ang naubos na  at 50% ng  coral reefs ang nasira, ayon sa United Nations.

“We need to work together to create a new balance with the ocean that no longer depletes its bounty but instead restores its vibrancy and brings it new life,” ayon sa UN.

“Revitalization: collective action for the ocean” ang tema ngayong taon para sa World Oceans Day. (Daris Jose)