Save our oceans
In April 2024, the first ever Commonwealth Ocean Ministries Meeting (COMM) was held in Cyprus. Of the 56 Commonwealth members, 49 are coastal states and yet all countries depend on the ocean for trade, transportation, security, and access to resources.
The inaugural COMM established a voice for Commonwealth countries to take forward discussions on ocean protection and management through the Commonwealth Blue Charter and propose the Commonwealth Ocean Declaration ahead of the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
In line with this theme, Commonwealth Alumni were invited to deliver community awareness activities to address a range of ocean related challenges threatening marine biodiversity.
Save our oceans
You can read about the Save our oceans themed activities delivered by Commonwealth Alumni below – as well as the impact these activities had on their chosen community.
Engaging Vyapin island fisher communities in mangrove restoration and ocean clean-up initiatives in Kerala, South India
Between December 2024 to January 2025, Commonwealth Alumnus Fredrick Juma Syanya delivered two activities to build awareness of the importance of mangrove conservation in protecting marine wildlife and coastal communities from climate change in Vyapin island, South India.
Microplastic and nanoplastic pollution: promoting actionable strategies to save oceans in India
In November 2024, Commonwealth Alumnus Dr Bunty Sharma delivered a two-day national workshop on, ‘Microplastic and Nanoplastic Pollution (MNP-2024): analytical tools for detection and remediation techniques’. The workshop was designed to promote analytical tools to detect and mitigate micro-nanoplastic pollution, build capacity amongst new researchers in this technique and discuss strategies to prevent further plastic contamination of rivers, oceans and coastal areas in India.
