Latest news with #OceanConservation
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Attendance of State Minister Fujii at the symposium organized by Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the commemorative dinner for the High-Level Expert Meeting on Japan and Africa Partnerships
On July 25, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. FUJII Hisayuki attended the Special International Symposium titled 'Forging a Sustainable Future through Africa-Japan Collaboration', organized by Sasakawa Peace Foundationand the commemorative dinner for High-Level Expert Meeting on Japan and Africa International Partnerships held at the Meiji Kinenkan and delivered a guest speech. The summary is as follows: In his address at the Special International Symposium, State Minister Fujii stated that Japan and Africa, both surrounded by oceans, are well-positioned to strengthen cooperation by sharing knowledge and experience to promote economic development through ocean conservation and sustainable use. He further emphasized that the opportunity for dialogue between Japanese and African leaders, as exemplified by this symposium, is highly welcome and will provide valuable input for the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9). State Minister Fujii engaged in discussions with former African heads of state and other prominent figures at the dinner celebrating the High-Level Expert Meeting on Japan and Africa Partnerships, hosted by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. (Reference) African participants in the High-Level Expert Meeting on Japan and Africa Partnerships H.E. Chief. Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania H.E. Mr. Jorge Carlos Fonseca, Former President of the Republic of Cabo Verd H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Hassane Mayaki, Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Niger Dr. Geraldine Fraser-Moloketi, Former Minister of Public Service and Administration Dr. Donald Kaberuka, Former President of African Development Bank. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Forbes
6 days ago
- General
- Forbes
12 Beautiful Winners Of The U.N. World Oceans Photo Competition
First Place Winner, Wonder: What Sustains Us category, Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Bearing the theme 'Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,' the winning images of the 2025 12th annual United Nations World Oceans Photo Competition are an ode to our ocean's wonders and a call to not lose sight of them when determining their fate. The winning images of this photo contest were selected by an expert panel of judges from thousands of photos entered by professional and amateur photographers across four categories: Big and Small Underwater Faces, Underwater Seascapes, Above Water Seascapes and the new category of Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us inspired by the 2025 UN World Oceans Day theme. From strikingly amazing, weird and surprising animals to unreal seascapes, the winners offer a complex view of our oceans. The photo above – 1st place winner in the Wonder: What Sustains Us category and taken in 2024 in Mo'orea, French Polynesia -- captures the eye of a humpback whale named Sweet Girl, just days before her tragic death. Four days after American photographer Rachel Moore captured this intimate moment, she was struck and killed by a fast-moving ship. Her death serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the 20,000 whales lost to ship strikes every year. 'We are using her story to advocate for stronger protections, petitioning for stricter speed laws around Tahiti and Mo'orea during whale season," said Moore. "I hope Sweet Girl's legacy will spark real change to protect these incredible animals and prevent further senseless loss.' The contest is organized by the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, DivePhotoGuide (DPG), Oceanic Global, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. The UN Photo Competition for World Oceans Day is free and open to photographers and artists from around the world who are invited 'to celebrate the ocean's essential wonder - from all the wonders it consists of to the wonder it ignites,' according to the organizers. 'The ocean's wonder is what draws us in and drives our desire to protect it. Wonder is the foundation of scientific knowledge, the allure behind exploration, the curiosity that drives innovation, and the seed of traditional wisdom.' World Ocean's Photo Competition First Place Winners 1st Place, Big and Small Underwater Faces category, Sea of Japan. This photo of a Japanese warbonnet was captured in the Sea of Japan, about 50 miles southwest of Vladivostok, Russia. 'I found the ornate fish at a depth of about 30 meters (100 feet), under the stern of a shipwreck,' Andre Nosik explains. 'This species does not appear to be afraid of divers. On the contrary, it seems to enjoy the attention,and it even tried to sit on the dome port of my camera.' 1st Place, Underwater Seascapes category. Raja Ampat, Indonesia. 'This year,' Dani Escayola explains, 'I had the incredible opportunity to visit a jellyfish lake during a live-aboard trip around southern Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Being surrounded by millions of jellyfish, which have evolved to lose their stinging ability due to the absence of predators, was one of the most breathtaking experiences I've ever had.' 1st Place, Above Water Seascapes category. Shark Bay, western Australia. A serene lake lies cradled by arid dunes, where a gentle stream breathes life into the heart of this extraordinary creation. Captured from an airplane on a remote stretch of coastline near Shark Bay in western Australia. Second Place Winners Of Ocean's Photo Competition 2nd Place, Wonder Sustaining What Sustains Us, Indonesia's Lembeh Strait. This juvenile pinnate batfish was photographed with a slow shutter speed, a 'snooted' light (to control the light beam for the shot) and deliberate camera panning to create a sense of motion. Juvenile pinnate batfish are known for their striking black bodies outlined in vibrant orange, a coloration they lose within a few months as they mature. I encountered this restless subject in the tropical waters of Indonesia's Lembeh Strait. 2nd Place, Big and Small Underwater Facess. Anilao, Philippines. On one of his many blackwater dives in Anilao, Philippines, Giacomo Marchine spotted something moving erratically at a depth of around 65 feet. It was about 10 to 15 centimeters in size, a rare blanket octopus and as he approached, it opened up its beautiful blanket, revealing a multicolored mantle. 'I felt truly privileged to have captured this fascinating deep-sea cephalopod," Marchione said.' Among the many unique characteristics of this fascinating deep-sea cephalopod, it exhibits some of the most extreme sexual size-dimorphism in nature, with females reaching up to two meters in length, while males typically remain about 2.4 cm. 2nd Place, Underwater Seascapes. This shot captures a school of rays resting at a cleaning station in Mauritius, where strong currents once attracted them regularly. "Some rays grew accustomed to divers, allowing close encounters like this," Gerald Rambert says. 'Sadly, after the severe bleaching that the reefs suffered last year, such gatherings have become rare, and we may not witness this again at the same spot.' 2nd Place, Above Water Seascapes category. Hermaness National Nature Reserve, Scotland. Northern gannets soar above the dramatic cliffs of Scotland's Hermaness National Nature Reserve, their sleek white bodies and black-tipped wings slicing through the Shetland winds. These seabirds, the largest in the North Atlantic, are renowned for their striking plunge-dives, reaching speeds up to 60 miles per hour as they hunt for fish beneath the waves. The cliffs of Hermaness provide ideal nesting sites, with updrafts aiding their take-off and landing. Each spring, thousands return to this rugged coastline, forming one of the U.K.'s most significant gannet colonies. A Shark Sanctuary And Other Photo Competition Winners 3rd Place, Wonder Sustaining What Sustains Us category. Jardines de la Reina, Cuba. Shot in Cuba's Jardines de la Reina, a protected shark sanctuary, this image captures a Caribbean reef shark weaving through a group of silky sharks near the surface. Using a slow shutter and strobes as the shark pivoted sharply, the motion blurred into a wave-like arc across its head, lit by the golden hues of sunset. The abundance and behavior of sharks here is a living symbol of what protected oceans can look like. 3rd place, Big and Small Underwater Faces category, Antarctic Peninsula. Trips to the Antarctic Peninsula always yield amazing encounters with leopard seals for Lars Von Ritter. 'Boldly approaching me and baring his teeth, this individual was keen to point out that this part of Antarctica was his territory," he said. "The picture was shot at dusk, resulting in the rather moody atmosphere.' 3rd Place, Underwater Seascapes category. 'La Rapadura,' northern coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands. 'La Rapadura' is a natural hidden treasure on the northern coast of Tenerife in the Spanish territory of the Canary Islands. Only discovered in 1996, it is one of the most astonishing underwater landscapes in the world, consistently ranking among the planet's best dive sites. These towering columns of basalt are the result of volcanic processes that occurred between 500,000 and a million years ago. The formation was created when a basaltic lava flow reached the ocean where, upon cooling and solidifying, it contracted, creating natural structures often compared to the pipes of church organs. Located in a region where marine life has been impacted by once-common illegal fishing practices, this stunning natural monument has both geological and ecological value, and scientists and underwater photographers are advocating for its protection. 3rd Place, Above Water Seascapes category, Paradise Harbour, Antarctic Peninsula. For Andrey Nosik, Paradise Harbour is one of the most beautiful places on the Antarctic Peninsula: 'When I visited, the sea was extremely calm, and I could witness a wonderfully clear reflection of the Suárez Glacier (aka Petzval Glacier) in the water.' All the winners and finalists of the 2025 UN Photo Competition for World Oceans Day, as well as from previous years, can be viewed via the virtual gallery. MORE FROM FORBES
News24
15-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
What is the High Seas Treaty and why does it matter?
There has been much hype about the United Nations High Seas Treaty at the United National Ocean Conference happening in Nice this week. But what are the High Seas and why are they important? And what will the Treaty achieve? Dr Judy Mann explains. What are the High Seas and why are they important? Extending 370 kilometres offshore is the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of each nation with a coastline. This is the part of the ocean that each coastal nation has the right to exploit and the responsibility to manage. The rest of the ocean is referred to as the High Seas. Collectively covering almost half of the planet, the High Seas are all the parts of the ocean that are not 'owned' by any nation – the areas beyond territorial waters. These vast stretches of ocean are incredibly important to humanity. They act as a carbon sink for about a quarter of the carbon dioxide generated by burning fossil fuels, they provide about half of the oxygen we need to breathe, and they provide fish and other marine resources to feed billions of people. In fact, the health of the High Seas is critical for the health of humanity. Right now, only about 1% of the High Seas are protected. READ | EXPLAINER | What will the UN high seas treaty mean for protecting the ocean? The High Seas have always been a 'free for all' - massive stretches of ocean where every country has the right to navigate, catch fish, lay submarine cables and pipelines and do research. But the resources of the High Seas – the fish and other biological resources, as well as the minerals in the seabed belong to all of us – not only the nations rich enough to exploit them. The world needed a system to manage the High Seas in a way that is fair and equitable to everyone, and that benefits all of humanity. What is the High Seas Treaty? After more than 10 years of negotiation, the member states of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction finally reached consensus and the High Seas Treaty was signed in New York City, US on 4 March 2023. By signing the Treaty, nations acknowledge the rights and responsibilities of all to act as stewards to protect the ocean for current and future generations. What will the Treaty achieve? The High Seas Treaty is a legally binding document in which all member states commit to the conservation and sustainable use of the High Seas. While the Treaty will not directly help nations to deliver against the 30x30 global protection target, it does provide a framework for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the High Seas. The Treaty also addresses how to modernise environmental impact assessments to ensure better consistency in the measurement of the impact of human activities on the ocean. The sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources and capacity building and technology transfer are other focus areas of the Treaty. The Treaty also contains measures to protect traditional knowledge and acknowledge the contribution of local communities. What now? The signing of the Treaty was step one – now we need ratification by at least 60 member states and then implementation needs to happen. This is a complex task and one that has been ongoing since 2023. So far in Nice this week, 20 countries have ratified the treaty, joining the 31 countries and the EU which have already ratified it. So, nine to go! To date 135 countries have signed the Treaty, including South Africa. South Africa has not yet ratified it. Signature is the first step by a country that shows its intention to be bound by the terms of the treaty. Ratification is the formal approval of the treaty by a country's government. Signature is the first step, while ratification means that the country is serious as it legally binds the country to the terms of the treaty. Both ratification and signature are crucial in ensuring that international agreements are legally binding and enforceable. Ratification is important, but without the true commitment of every nation, all the money in the world will not make the Treaty a success. What is needed is a deep acknowledgement that caring for the ocean is the only way to ensure that our children will inherit a habitable planet, followed by true commitment and actions to implement the Treaty as soon as possible. Dr Judy Mann is executive for strategic projects at Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation.
Trade Arabia
22-05-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Novotel celebrates its ocean commitment with two new programmes
Ahead of World Ocean Day (June 8), Novotel marks the first anniversary of its transformative three-year partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), reaffirming its commitment to protecting the wellbeing and longevity of the ocean with the launch of two new food policies. They include: Novotel's Sustainable Seafood Principles in partnership with WWF France and the launch of a pioneering global Plant-Forward food ambition across 600 hotels. "At Novotel, we are taking decisive action to protect our oceans, and the partnership with WWF is a driving force of this commitment,' said Jean-Yves Minet, Novotel Global Brand President. 'Through their guidance and expertise, we can drive change at scale across our 600 hotels and more widely across the industry and communities we reach. At Novotel, we're committed to making it easier to make choices that have a positive impact on the longevity of the planet, on marine life, and on future generations. From responsible sourcing to a Plant-Forward approach, our ocean impact strategy is designed to drive real change. Together, we can lead the way toward a healthier, more sustainable future - one positive choice at a time." DELICIOUS, HEALTHIER, MORE SUSTAINABLE FOOD The new Sustainable Seafood Principles were created in partnership with WWF and led by the fisheries experts at WWF France. The new guidelines, launched globally across Novotel's 600 hotels, include banning of 350 species of endangered seafood species, and promoting responsible fishing by 2027, serving only MSC-certified wild-caught species or responsibly sourced local fish, and use ASC- or organic-certified farmed seafood for salmon and shrimp, fostering supplier collaboration where needed. WWF France has created Sustainable Seafood Training, a comprehensive global training programme for Novotel chefs, food and procurement teams, and is working alongside Novotel and Accor to improve traceability. Furthermore, Novotel has pioneered a Plant-Forward1 ambition, targeting all its 600 hotels to have a minimum of 25% plant-based menus by 2026. Today 39% of hotels dedicate at least 25% of their menus to plant-forward options. Novotel is committed to offering market leading, tasty, sustainable, and Plant-Forward philosophy at scale, guided by a leading culinary institute. EDUCATION & AWARENESS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION Novotel welcomes more than two million family stays a year and this summer families at Novotel will experience two new edutainment games designed by WWF France and Novotel to inspire and empower children to be ambassadors for the ocean. 'Guardians of the Mediterranean' is an interactive card and digital game inspired by the WWF Blue Panda boat, created to educate families about ocean conservation in a fun, engaging way. 'Sea Turtle' is a lively digital quiz that helps children learn about the threats faced during turtle migration, including ghost gear, plastic and pollution.
