Pollution, overfishing and climate change are key issues being addressed at the 2016 Our Ocean Conference in Washington D.C. Sept. 15 and 16.
During a conference call with student journalists, Judith Garber, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, said the mission of the conference is to be forward thinking and focus on solutions rather than the problems themselves.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been an outspoken advocate for ocean health and conservation since his 2013 cabinet appointment, is hosting the conference. It will include presentations from international leaders, non-governmental organizations and ocean advocates promoting solutions to various environmental issues.
“The message is about action and hope,” Garber said. “Our ocean is under threat, solutions are possible and it’s all our responsibility to take actions to help our ocean.”
The United States and other attendees will announce new initiatives dedicated to ocean conservation at the conference. Between 2014 and 2015, attendees pledged more than $4 billion and committed to safeguarding approximately 6 million square kilometers of ocean, roughly twice the size of India, Garber said.
Though these contributions are significant, she said the problems facing the ocean cannot be solved by governments and international organizations alone. State and community involvement is critical to the development and success of sustainable solutions, she said.
Young people will also play an important role in the future of the ocean, Garber said.
The U.S. Department of Stateis partnering with Georgetown University to cultivate the next generation of ocean advocates through the Our Ocean, One Future Leadership Summit. The summit will run parallel to the conference and feature 150 university leaders from the United States and 50 other countries.
Garber said students can support ocean conservation in small ways every day. Purchasing legally caught seafood, limiting the use of plastic packaging and reducing personal carbon footprints are small practices that can have a large impact, she said.
Issues important to Louisiana, including coastal land loss and the intersection of coastal economies and preservation, will be a main focus at the conference.
Garber said numerous countries attending the conference have significant economic ties to the ocean, much like Louisiana. Many are concerned that economic revenues tied to the ocean are at odds with sustainable practices, but Garber said both interests can work together successfully.
“We recognize it’s not an either or situation, and we believe that these can move together,” Garber said.