Overfishing, pollution still have firm grip on ocean health

Starting this week, the celebration of Ocean Week is a pit stop to Naude Dreyer of Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN), at which he is able to recognise the gradual turning of the tide in terms of the public’s attitude toward ocean ecosystems and marine health.

“There is currently a great emphasis on change now that it seems there is no hope, which I wouldn’t say there was always hope,” he said.

However great the local and international efforts and outcry aimed at change may be, Dreyer believes that it will take cohesion and teamwork on a global scale to effect the necessary change. “It will definitely take a global effort and a complete mind shift,” he said.

Haunted by our problems

Dreyer, along with various environmental institutions, believes that Namibian oceans are still disturbed by human interference, which can be a miracle to marine wildlife or could sentence species to their collective doom.

“You are taking certain species out of the food chain and we know that ecosystems are very sensitive, so by wiping a species out, you could cause the ecosystem to collapse,” Dreyer said, noting the habit of overfishing specifically.

Dreyer said our oceans are plagued by pollution, but this now occurs on a smaller scale than it previously did.

However, he believes an effort can still be made to curb pollution by reducing illegal dumping and being cognisant specifically of not allowing stray fishing lines into the ocean as they may strangle marine animals.

Celebrating

Dreyer believes that for institutions like OCN and the Namibia Dolphin Project, every week is Ocean Week, but given that the world is celebrating with them, OCN is proud to host an exhibition at the Swakopmund Museum for the entire month.

Nadine Phiri of the museum believes that it is their responsibility to utilise their platform to educate the public. “Raising awareness that our ocean, our coastline, needs to be protected, and we need to take responsibility,” she said.

Phiri noted her great admiration for the work of institutions aiding ocean health.

“I am so excited that we can provide a platform for OCN to showcase what amazing work they do.”