The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, has said indiscriminate human activities are threatening the health of oceans.
Gambo, who was represented by the Hydrographer of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Chukwuemeka Okafor, disclosed this at a press briefing on Tuesday at the Western Naval Command, as part of events to flag off the 2022 World Hydrography Day in Nigeria.
He said, “Studies predict that tropical coral reefs could disappear by the turn of the century, and by 2050, there could be more plastics in the oceans than fish.
“This situation prompted the United Nations to conduct the first World Ocean Assessment in 2016, where it was discovered that humankind was running out of time to start managing the ocean sustainably.
“Therefore, the UN’s declaration of the period 2021-2030, as the decade of ocean Science for Sustainable Development brings to the fore the critical role to be played by science in restoring the health of the ocean.
“In this regard, the science of hydrography stands out as a major tool to provide policymakers adequate knowledge of the ocean to elicit appropriate governance measures for the conservation of biodiversity, through sustainable use of the ocean.”
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