6 Reasons Why This Week’s ‘Our Ocean’ Conference In Malta Was So Important
Photo by Jeremy Wonnacott (DOI)
The Our Ocean conference is a major annual event aimed at encouraging countries and businesses to make concrete commitments to protect the marine environment. This year, it was Malta’s turn to host the global summit for its fourth edition, and very important points were raised.
Among leaders from more than 100 nations and a large number of local and international NGOs in attendance, several high-profile speakers addressed the conference. These included Prince Charles, European Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, Sky Group CEO Jeremy Darroch, former US Secretary of State John Kerry, and Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
The conference tackled various areas of action; marine protected areas, climate change, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, sustainable blue economies and maritime security.
Here’s why this year’s event was so fundamental.
1. “By 2050, the oceans could contain more plastic than fish”
There were other bombshells thrown in during key participants’ speeches. The Prince of Wales famously said that “plastic is indeed now on the menu” during his opening speech, but perhaps the most worrying factoid came courtesy of Federica Mogherini’s revelation. “The poison that we throw comes back to us to our tables,” Mogherini continued.
However, being the self-professed optimist that she is, the EU High Representative also had some comforting words. “As we are currently part of the problem, we can decide to be part of the solution”. Quickly backing her claim up, she announced, on the behalf of the European Union, that the European Commission would be putting €560 million (and 36 “concrete actions”) to join the cause. “Our ocean doesn’t have to be a security threat,” she said. “It can be Mare Nostrum, our sea, for all mankind”.
2. “Wherever you swim, there are particles of plastic near you”
The Prince of Wales echoed the EU High Representative’s words, saying “we are very close to reaching the point where whatever wild caught fish you eat will contain plastic”.
Prince Charles used the opportunity to urge for a transition to a circular economy which would allow plastic to be recovered, recycled and reused. He describes the problems authorities face as “systematic and interrelated”, going on to wonder aloud whether the ocean’s fragility was truly grasped.
“On our increasingly crowded planet this economic approach has to be a critical part of establishing a more harmonious relationship between humankind and the ocean that sustains us all and also provides a mechanism for the benefits of a sustainable Blue Economy to be reaped,” the Prince of Wales said of his propositioned economic structure.
3. Karmenu Vella, “Mr. Ocean of Europe”
The co-host of the conference, European Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella was affectionately introduced as the “Mr. Ocean of Europe”. The official website of this year’s conference opens with a great quote by Vella; “Forests are our planet’s green lung, but oceans are its blue heart. It is now up to all of us to keep this blue heart beating”.
Commissioner Vella’s speech started with a look back at the historic speech by Malta’s Representative to the UN Arvid Pardo in 1967. The speech had lead to the signing of the most far-reaching treaty ever negotiated under United Nations auspices, the Convention of the Law of the Seas.
“We are 50 years older, but are we 50 wiser?” Vella asked.
4. “By the end of 2019, Malta commits to recover 70% of the plastic bottles generated on our islands”
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat took to the podium to share not only Malta’s past commitments, but announce its future ones.
In 2016, Malta announced the designation of nine new marine protected areas. During this year’s conference Muscat announced a beverage container refund scheme. “It will not be easy even though we have been preparing for it,” Muscat said. “It might be controversial, but it is necessary.”
Muscat also announced that Malta will be designating 30% of its waters as marine protected areas in 2018, following it up with the introduction of the Small States Centre of Excellence.
The Prime Minister continued by hoping that Malta’s example would be taken up by much bigger EU member states and countries worldwide.
5. The passing of the torch to Malta
Also participating was popular US politician and former Secretary of State John Kerry.
Commissioner Karmenu Vella described Kerry as the world’s very own Poseidon, and the US politician quickly returned his gratitude. Kerry, who had hosted the 2016 Our Ocean conference in Washington, D.C., had said that saving the oceans is a “life or death” issue.
“Thrilled to be in Malta to participate in #OurOcean,” Kerry tweeted out, thanking not only Vella for hosting, but also Malta for being on the forefront of major global change on similar matters.
6. SKY will remove all single-use plastics by 2020
Jeremy Darroch, CEO of the giant broadcasting company, announced the radical measure during the conference.
Sky will remove all single-use plastics from its operation, products and supply chain by the year 2020, but certain measures will be put into effect even earlier. By the end of this year, all products will be made without plastic that is used once and then thrown away. The huge company will also help its business partners and suppliers transform their operations.
Darroch also said SKY will be investing £25 million in an Ocean Rescue Innovation Fund to help start-ups and other businesses develop technology that eradicates single-use plastics and stops them ending up in the sea.
SKY also set up Plasticus, their famous 10-metre whale made up of a quarter of a tonne of recovered plastic, at Castille Square. Plasticus will stay there until Sunday morning, which means the thousands of people who visit Valletta for the Notte Bianca festival tonight will get a chance to view it.
To watch the full speeches by Prince Charles, Karmenu Vella, Federica Mogherini and Joseph Muscat, check out the Facebook video below which went live during the conference.
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