Here’s Why and How to Celebrate World Oceans Day

Have you ever noticed the calendar is filled with a lot of wacky awareness days?

National Peanut Butter Day. National Handwriting Day. National Fried Chicken Day.

Yes, these days are likely relevant to someone. Maybe even you!

But there’s one day that stands out as important for everyone.

While its history goes back to the 90s, World Oceans Day is officially celebrated every June 8th dating back to 2008. That’s when the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized its importance.

And by celebrated, we mean by millions of people at thousands of events in more than 120 countries. Its social media reach is into the billions. That’s no small day.

Why World Oceans Day?

We celebrate World Oceans Day to remind us how important the oceans are to our everyday lives.

•      Oceans are the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe
•      They’re a major source of food and medicines and a critical part of the biosphere
•      They provide us with a way to access distant places, and they account for the vast majority of international trade

And they need our help.

The biodiversity of our oceans is under serious threat.

•      It’s estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans (measured in weight)
•      Marine habitats like coral reefs are being destroyed by coastal pollution affecting ecosystems that marine plants and animals need to survive
•      Irresponsible fishing methods like overfishing and bottom trawling are depleting fish stocks faster than they can replenish

At Ocean’s, we support responsible, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly fishing practices. We want to protect the health of our oceans and fisheries for future generations.

We take our role as a global community leader and ocean steward seriously. That means preserving important ecosystems, reducing bycatch of vulnerable species (like turtles and dolphins), and minimizing marine damage.

You can trust that we work with organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council to uphold and improve the standards of sustainable fisheries.

Here are some things you can do to celebrate our oceans on World Oceans Day, and every day.

•      Choose to eat only sustainable seafood. You’ll know when you see labels with the MSC logo or Pole & Line caught tuna
•      Use less plastic by carrying your own water bottle, coffee cup, straw, and shopping bags
•      Use your social media channels for good by spreading the word to help clean up our ocean using #worldoceansday and #saveourocean

Sources:
https://www.worldoceansday.org/history
https://www.un.org/en/events/oceansday/
https://unworldoceansday.org/gender-and-ocean
https://oceans.casustainability/
https://www.earthday.org/2018/04/05/fact-sheet-plastics-in-the-ocean/