Webinar on Developing Awareness Program and Mitigation against Marine Debris Impacts Towards Sustainable Fisheries in IORA

The ocean contains 1.3 billion cubic kilometres of water. One-fifth of a cubic kilometres of ocean suffers from its share of sewage, garbage, marine litter, spilled oil, and industrial waste, which runs directly into the ocean every day. Eighty percent of this waste comes from land-based activities, while 20 percent comes from seafarers, large cargo ships that discharge waste directly into the ocean, and offshore oil rigs. Since 80 percent of marine pollutants (especially plastic) comes from the land, this issue should be solved mostly on the land by involving relevant global stakeholders.

Among the most pressing issues of marine pollution that we are currently facing is plastic waste. Addressing marine plastic waste requires attention from the global community. A cultural shift to address and resolve the marine pollution issues among policymakers, the private sector, and individuals is needed to reduce single-use plastic usage, encourage recycling efforts and prevent plastic from entering the ocean. IORA members and other relevant stakeholders are continue to address these issues with many policies and programmes  put in place. Therefore, this necessitates the attention of the IORA Member States given that marine litter is one of their main focuses.

Maritime resources are prime for socio-economic development and poverty reduction in the Indian Ocean Rim where sustainable harnessing of maritime resources must be given priority through policy interventions and reinforced by law. IORA member states ought to implement SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. It will initiate, develop, discuss, coordinate, and monitor the cooperation of fisheries management in the IORA region together with support and assistance from IORA member states ought to implement SDG 14.

As the initiator and the coordinator for fisheries management cooperation in IORA, the IORA Core Group on Fisheries Management (CGFM) puts great attention and focus on marine debris management issue through the proposed activities that reflected on its Work Plan. One of those strategic activities is “to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change and environmental impacts on the fisheries and aquaculture sector”.

In addition this, under Working Group on Blue Economy (WGBE) Indonesia in cooperation with Germany will also lead on the initiative on the development of “IORA Framework in Combating Marine Debris”. Indonesia is of the view that these initiative is interconnected and shall be synergized to each other.

The aim of the webinar is to exchange information on best knowledges and practices on developing marine debris awareness and mitigation program towards a sustainable fisheries in IORA. The specific objectives are to:

• provide a virtual platform where relevant stakeholders can discuss best knowledges and practices on management of marine debris;
• exchange information on the current and upcoming initiatives of the IORA region in updated voices and ideas of stakeholders in combating marine debris to support sustainable fisheries respectively;
• strengthen collaboration of related stakeholders (policy maker, academic, private sector and NGO) to promote awareness program and mitigation on. the impact of marine debris towards sustainable fisheries management in Indian Ocean region;
• implement the IORA CGFM Work Plan; and
• encourage and provided the possibility for private and public sectors to participate in marine debris management effort in IORA towards sustainable fisheries management in Indian Ocean region.

The webinar will be hosted by Indonesia under the framework of IORA CGFM Work Plan, in collaboration with the IORA Secretariat. The webinar is scheduled for 10 November 2021 at 07:00 (GMT).

Interested participants are requested to register via the following link:

https://forms.gle/HnshtoE4TdYCBg1M9

The webinar will be organized through Zoom platform with following link (please note that only registered participant that will be admitted to join the webinar):

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85133613369?pwd=cmh5WTJydnlTSVFZMDBzNm84eER0UT09

Meeting ID: 851 3361 3369

Passcode: 116407