Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - The sea is a resource and riches for the entire planet and as such it must be protected. This year World Environment Day, June 5, focussed on Oceans and Seas which unfortunately are not in the best of health.
The magnifying glass was set on pollution and fishing. Although water covers most of area of our planet (71%), only 0.5% of the marine ambient is really protected compared to 10.5% of the dry land: there are 102,102 protected areas of land but only 4,116 protected marine areas equal to about 1.6 million sq. metres of sea and ocean.
According to the World Wildlife Fund one of the main ills is water pollution 80% of which is caused by activities on land. For example every year plastic refuse kills more than 1 million sea birds, 100,000 marine mammals and a great quantity of fish. Coral reefs are decaying in 93 of the 109 countries where they are found and 60% may disappear in the next 30 years due to coastal development, tourism, global warming, pollution and destructive forms of fishing.
World Environment Day was established in 1972 by the General Assembly of the United Nations to promote awareness of the environment conditions and encourage attention and environment policies.
Do we want to keep seas and oceans alive and healthy or do we want them polluted and dead? The purpose of the Day is to increase awareness with regard to the planet and its problems and guarantee an environment which is healthy and protected. (AP) (7/6/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:25; Parole:286)
