LIFE BELOW WATER
The ocean covers 70% of our planet and billions of people around the world depend on it for their income and food. SDG14 “Life Below Water” focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.
We are seeing 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks overexploited and a 26 percent rise in ocean acidification since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Marine pollution has reached alarming levels, with an average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter to be found on every square kilometer of ocean (SDGfund.org).
For the next couple of weeks we are looking into who is already helping to solve these problems and raise awareness and what we can all do to help.
What can we do as individuals?
1. Reduce our plastic waste, especially single-use. So much of what we produce on land ends up in the ocean. Check out our blog on plastic-free travel this summer https://www.prosperoworld.org.uk/blog-top-tips-for-plastic-free-trav
2. Organise a local cleanup project. Engage your whole community to clean up a local river, canal, or beach. (see #2minutebeachclean)
3. Buy local and certified fish. You can support small-scale producers by shopping in local markets and shops where you can ask the vendor the provenance of what you are buying. If shopping in the supermarkets you can look for the blue Marine Stewardship Council label which will tell you if the fish you are buying comes from a sustainable source.https://www.msc.org/what-we-are-doing/our-approach/what-does-the-blue-msc-label-mean
4. Don't buy bottled water. There are so many places to fill up your reusable bottles now and by downloading the refill app you can find where to fill up on the go https://refill.org.uk/
5. Support charities around Goal 14 https://www.globalgiving.org/sdg/life-below-water
#GoalsForGood
"No Water, No Life, No BLUE, NO Green"
Sylvia Earle