Oceans make up 70 percent of our planet and are a valuable source of health and wealth for millions of people around the world. Every June 8th we celebrate World Oceans Day - an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans. This year’s theme is Oceans Sustainability: from lighting of the Empire State Building in New York to an international photo contest to celebrations at the United Nations, see what events are planned.
As well, June 5th marks World Environment Day. In support of the UN designation of 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), this year’s World Environment Day will focus on climate change.
From 9-13 June delegates from around the world will gather for the FAO Committee on Fisheries. The Committee presently constitutes the only global inter-governmental forum where major international fisheries and aquaculture problems and issues are examined and recommendations addressed.
Recently added content:
- Cruise Forward- Vacations that make a difference : Cruise lines around the world have joined together to form Cruise Forward — a platform for sharing stories about the industry. Our goal is to better educate communities, policymakers, employees and stakeholders about the positive impact the industry is having across the globe. (Website)
- Cruise Industry Highlights Ongoing Sustainability Efforts : In commemoration of Earth Day, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today highlighted the extensive efforts of the cruise industry and CLIA member lines to preserve and protect the environment. (News)
- FAO sheds light on deep-sea sharks : Fishers will have an easier job of identifying deep-sea sharks thanks to a new series of FAO guides designed to improve reporting on catches and make deep-sea fisheries more sustainable. (News)
- Report highlights growing role of fish in feeding the world : More people than ever before rely on fisheries and aquaculture for food and as a source of income, but harmful practices and poor management threaten the sector’s sustainability, says a new FAO report. (News)
- Summit commits to concrete actions to turn around ocean health and secure food security for millions of people :A summit that brought together more than 600 ocean stakeholders – including 80 ministers from across the world, ocean science experts, business leaders, philanthropists and heads of international organizations – committed to a set of concrete actions responding to the urgency for restoring productive, resilient oceans that drive broad-based blue growth and deliver food security. (News)
- Infographic: State of world fisheries & aquaculture : Infographic on the state of world fisheries & aquaculture 2014(Multimedia)
- Mixed readiness for tsunamis in the Caribbean : The Caribbean region is working hard to prepare for tsunamis, but has more to do. (News)
- 31st Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries : The Committee on Fisheries (COFI), a subsidiary body of the FAO Council, was established by the FAO Conference at its Thirteenth Session in 1965. The Committee presently constitutes the only global inter-governmental forum where major international fisheries and aquaculture problems and issues are examined and recommendations addressed to governments, regional fishery bodies, NGOs, fishworkers, FAO and international community, periodically on a world-wide basis. (Event)
- World Oceans Day 2014 : Celebration of World Oceans Day at United Nations headquarters, and around the world. This year’s theme is Ocean Sustainability. (Event)
- Sharing data to achieve sustainable global marine management : The sustainable management of marine ecosystems requires effective, international cooperation. To this end, the EU-funded iMarine project has developed data infrastructure specifically designed to encourage cross-border and cross-sectoral collaboration in this field. (News)
- Fish more important than ever in providing jobs, feeding the world – UN report : A new United Nations report highlights the growing role of fish and aquaculture in feeding the world and providing a source of income, and calls for the sustainable and responsible management of the so-called ‘blue world.’ (News)
- Participants at UN-backed summit commit to improve ocean health, secure food security : A United Nations-backed summit wrapped up in the Netherlands today with a set of concrete actions to turn around the health of the world’s oceans and food security for millions by tackling key threats such as climate change, overfishing, habitat loss and pollution. (News)
- World Oceans Day 8 June 2014 : The United Nations will celebrate World Oceans Day 2014 with the theme, Ocean Sustainability. Winners of the Annual World Oceans Day Oceanic Photo Competition will be awarded at an event on 9 June 2014 at United Nations Headquarters. The celebration of World Oceans Day coincides with the first day of the twenty-fourth meeting of the Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This year, also marks the twentieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention. (News)
- Better science for better fisheries management : Research looks at the best strategies for dealing with all of the fisheries of the Northeast region (USA) that impact habitat. (News)
- Oceanic Society Kenya Safari is a 2014 National Geographic Tour of a Lifetime : Oceanic Society, a non-profit organization and pioneer in ocean conservation tourism, is thrilled to announce that its Kenya: Hyenas to Humpbacks travel program has been named one of National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime” for 2014. (News)
- Special Issue on Fisheries : New fisheries journal by the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)(Document)
- ‘Bright spots’ can help islands navigate towards sustainable future, says UN biodiversity chief : Tiny though some may be, islands play a huge role in sustaining life on the planet – making up less than 5 per cent of Earth’s landmass, they are home to 20 per cent of all bird, reptile and plant species – and protecting their fragile ecosystems from ill-considered development, polluted waters and invasive species is the main focus of this year’s International Day for Biodiversity. (News)
- Yemaya : The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)’s newsletter on gender and fisheries (Document)
- Wreckage of Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria Found off Haitian Coast (Maybe) : On Christmas Day of 1492 Christopher Columbus’ flagship, the Santa Maria, ran aground off the northern coast of Haiti. In his journal Columbus recorded the location of the ship’s wreck, and over many, many years researchers have worked to figure out how the famed explorer’s descriptions and maps align with the coastline, and to pin down where, exactly, the ship ended its voyage. Now, The Independent is reporting that a team of archaeologists think they’ve found the remains of the Santa Maria. (News)
- World’s Oldest Message in a Bottle Discovered after 101 Years : Message in bottle arrives after 101 years since it was tossed into the sea in Germany. A German museum has traced the postcard inside the beer bottle to a baker’s son Richard Platz and has tracked down his 62-year-old granddaughter. Photo: Uwe Paesler AFP-Getty. (News)
- ICAO announces May Meeting on Global Airline Tracking : As the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 370 continues, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has announced that it is convening a special meeting of State and industry experts on the global tracking of airline flights. In related areas of its work, ICAO, a UN specialized agency, has recently established new guidance on underwater locator beacons (ULBs) which will come into force in 2018. (News)
