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Step up ocean investment urges PM

June 30, 2022 6:20 am

Pacific islanders do not need scientific reports to know that our ocean is now in danger says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

He highlighted this at the UN Ocean Conference Interactive Dialogue underway in Lisbon, Portugal.

Bainimarama says the ocean crisis is not coming, it is here and crushing every reef, watershed, riverbank, and shoreline.

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He has urged world leaders to step up ocean investment.

“By 2030 the oceans contribution to the world economy could double to reach 3 trillion dollars and that doesn’t even consider the unaccounted benefits of climate regulation and coastal protection the ocean provides us.”

Bainimarama says while the ocean is the most important set of lungs on earth, it is the least funded sustainable development goal.

“Of the estimated 174 billion US dollars needed per year to reserve ocean health a d realize SDG 14 by 2030, meagre mix of 8 billion in philanthropy and five billion in official development assistance has been invested.”

As the UN conference continues, leaders and civil society representatives are presenting fresh, bold, and innovative solutions to ignite transformational change to effectively address the challenges the ocean is facing.