Berlin, Europe Brief News – The world is facing an “ocean emergency”, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has warned during the five-day United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
The UN meeting sheds light on restoring the health of the oceans amid large participation of activists, scientists and leaders.
The ocean emergency event further called for strengthening sea-protection measures.
“We have taken the ocean for granted,” Guterres told policymakers, experts and advocates at the opening plenary in Lisbon. He said climate change and pollution badly affected the seas.
“I urge all participants at the UN Ocean Conference to right these wrongs and do our part for the ocean. We must take action and turn the tide,” he said.
Drawing people from more than 120 countries, the five-day Ocean Conference is focused on restoring the health of the oceans, which cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and provide food and livelihoods for billions of people.
Oceans are home to an estimated 700,000 to one million species and produce more than half of the world’s oxygen. However, they have been facing the impact of climate change, including global warming, pollution, and acidification.
On a beach in Lisbon, activists with the Ocean Rebellion group held a demonstration carrying placards. “As the sea dies, we die”, it reads.
