Abuja: The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and FishNet Alliance have issued a clarion call for the protection of oceans as a vital measure to sustain life on planet Earth. The appeal was made on Sunday during the commemoration of the 2025 World Ocean Day, emphasizing the urgent need for collective action.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Miss Kome Odhomor, Media/Communications Lead at HOMEF, relayed the insights of Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, the Executive Director of HOMEF, an ecology-focused organization. Dr. Bassey highlighted the critical roles that oceans play in environmental and climate systems. He pointed out that the annual celebration of World Ocean Day on June 8 serves as a platform to raise awareness for oceanic conservation.
Dr. Bassey expressed concern over the relentless assaults on oceans and other water bodies at local, national, and international levels. He cautioned against the misconception that the ocean can endlessly recycle itself and act as a greenhouse gas sink, stressing that such beliefs lead to harmful dumping practices.
“The oceans and other water bodies have become dumpsites for all sorts of polluting and extreme exploitation,” he remarked. He further stressed that unusual activities in marine environments must cease to ensure healthy oceans and a thriving planet. Bassey criticized the prioritization of corporate interests over community welfare, especially for coastal populations who suffer the repercussions.
Bassey emphasized the interconnectedness of the world’s oceans-Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern-with smaller water bodies like seas, gulfs, bays, lagoons, estuaries, and groundwater systems. He reminded that these ecosystems supply substantial oxygen to the atmosphere and provide essential services for the survival of all species.
As the world observes World Ocean Day with the theme ‘Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,’ Bassey urged a rethinking of humanity’s exploitative and destructive relationship with the oceans to foster a sustainable future.
Stephen Oduware, Coordinator of the FishNet Alliance, a network of fishers across Africa, highlighted the impact of industrial fishing on ocean ecosystems. “The major ocean areas bordering Africa, the Atlantic and Indian, along with their associated gulfs, face fishing shortfalls due to vested and powerful interests,” he stated. Oduware attributed part of the problem to industrial fishing practices like bottom trawling, which contribute to unsustainable and illegal fishing activities.
He warned that these practices harm marine life and disrupt ecological balances, calling for an end to unchecked activities in Africa’s territorial waters. “Let’s protect the ocean and force others to respect it because we are the ocean; we are part of the ocean family,” Oduware concluded.