\u201cDo what you can, do it wisely, and most importantly do it now. A healthy ocean is not a luxury item. It is a necessity for survival.\u00a0And taking care of the ocean means taking care of ourselves,\u201d Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden said, as she addressed the Stockholm Resilience Centre event on \u201cEngaging the private sector in SDG 14\u201d on 9 June, taking place during the Ocean Conference at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Headquarters in New York.<\/p>\n
One of 17 Sustainable Development Goals Advocates, the Crown Princess joined the international community during the Conference week to show her dedication and commitment to help save our ocean.<\/p>\n
Addressing the side event aimed at presenting and discussing the efforts by companies in\u00a0SeaBOS (Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship), a science-based sustainability initiative involving nine of the world\u2019s largest seafood companies, Crown Princess Victoria spoke passionately about the critical state of our ocean.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you ever experienced a forest fire?,\u201d she asked the well-attended auditorium, referring to one of the largest forest fires that Sweden experienced a few years ago. \u201cThe roaring flames. The massive heat. The smoke. It is a dramatic experience \u2013 even frightening,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking out at the sea, on the other hand, is a very different experience,\u201d she continued describing a stunning, peaceful view. \u201cBut the beautiful surface is not telling the whole truth. Overfishing, global warming and pollution are destroying the ocean. Not with flames and smoke, like a fire. But silently, invisibly, deadly,\u201d the Crown Princess said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll alarm bells are ringing: We are coming dangerously close to fatal tipping points,\u201d she said, noting the critical role that the ocean plays for life on earth. She also described the role of the seafood industry, stressing that all food that we get from the ocean needs to be produced in a sustainable way.<\/p>\n
Crown Princess Victoria praised the SeaBOS initiative aimed towards sustainable seafood action by connecting the global seafood business to science; wild capture fisheries to aquaculture; and European and North American companies to Asian companies. SeaBOS is also one of the 1,328 voluntary commitments made in connection with the Ocean Conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we discuss climate change, it is difficult to see it in front of you, but for the degradation of the ocean, we can see it in front of us,\u201d Ms. L\u00f6vin said. \u201cWe feel it in our hearts that this is not tolerable anymore,\u201d she said, also praising the fact that the Conference had raised our awareness on plastic litter. Ms. L\u00f6vin said we had let \u201cthe genie out of the bottle\u201d, and that \u201cwe will not be able to put it back again\u201d.<\/p>\n
Related information:<\/p>\n
The Ocean Conference Engaging the private sector in SDG14 \u2013 The Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship initiative
\nhttps:\/\/oceanconference.un.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\nhttps:\/\/oceanconference.un.org\/index.php?page=view&type=20000&nr=2156&menu=3327<\/a><\/p>\n