EDITORIAL - Healthy oceans, healthy planet

The rainy season is upon us, and with it comes the flooding that brings up to the surface tons of garbage. In Manila Bay, every storm washes ashore truckloads of trash, with strong tides often bringing the solid waste all the way to Roxas Boulevard. The regular inundation of garbage is proof that Filipinos still have a long way to go in keeping Manila Bay clean.

Today the Philippines joins the international community in observing World Oceans Day, with several communities planning coastal cleanups to mark the event. Some progress has been made in ridding Philippine seas of pollution, particularly in communities that are reaping the benefits of eco-tourism and clean fishing grounds. Sea pollution, however, remains a serious problem all over the country.

“Healthy oceans, healthy planet” is this year’s theme for World Oceans Day. The United Nations is reminding the international community that oceans are the lungs of the planet, producing oxygen, feeding billions, providing sources of medicine and interconnecting the world.

The UN is particularly concerned about plastic waste dumped in the ocean, which choke fish and other marine life. Toxic industrial waste even from inland waterways also finds its way into oceans, destroying coral reefs and the marine life that they sustain.

While they help ease pollution, regular coastal cleanups alone will not do the trick. People need to change their attitude toward the ocean and its blessings for humanity. Several countries have shown what can be done to keep oceans clean and ensure the sustainability of marine resources. Those best practices can be replicated in other countries.

The UN officially recognized June 8 as World Oceans Day in 2008. Since then, awareness has been raised about the need to keep oceans healthy, but the challenges remain daunting. Today’s event should encourage more people to become “citizens of the oceans.”