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As the world celebrates world oceans day, the questions that lingers in most minds is what is our impact on seas? And how important are they to our lives? But as we ponder hard on these questions, The United Nation’s facts on how oceans matter to us are a great opener. Here are the facts as to why the ocean is important to humans #WorldOceansDay
- Know the average worldwide fish consumption is about 20 kilograms per person per year
- Know Oceans absorb about 30 percent of carbon dioxide produced by humans
- Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface, contain 97 per cent of the Earth’s water, and represent 99 per cent of the living space on the planet by volume
- Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods
- Globally, the market value of marine and coastal resources and industries is estimated at $3 trillion per year or about 5 per cent of global GDP
- Oceans contain nearly 200,000 identified species, but actual numbers may lie in the millions
- Oceans absorb about 30 per cent of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming
- Oceans serve as the world’s largest source of protein, with more than 3 billion people depending on the oceans as their primary source of protein
- Marine fisheries directly or indirectly employ over 200 million people
- Subsidies for fishing are contributing to the rapid depletion of many fish species and are preventing efforts to save and restore global fisheries and related jobs, causing ocean fisheries to generate US$ 50 billion less per year than they could
- As much as 40 per cent of the world oceans are heavily affected by human activities, including pollution, depleted fisheries, and loss of coastal habitats
The UN is encouraging a special effort to curb plastic pollution through this year’s theme which is “Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet,”
