Mission to protect Planet Ocean

I loved visiting beaches during childhood holidays in Ireland. I remember pristine sand and running towards the waves. Then the exhilaration of the fresh, clean water and luminous droplets of salty water on skin. I knew that herring, which I would enjoy for my supper, were caught further out at sea.

Around the same era, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Fiji, in the Pacific, remembers a childhood living close to the ocean and going fishing with his mother to catch shrimps, fish, and eels. "It was like going to the fishmarket for food," he said, "but the sea also provided entertainment and transportation."

Most of us feel a connection with the planet's oceans - or should we say ocean, since they are all joined? But do we appreciate them? Let's celebrate World Oceans Day on 8 June.

Commodifying the ocean

Psalm 104 talks of "the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small." It provides oxygen, regulates the climate and feeds billions of people. However, there is increasing pressure from overfishing, pollution and climate change. If you want to visit the ocean in the UK, you'd be advised to check the Environment Agency reports on various beaches, which indicate how much the water has been polluted with faecal matter from things like sewage, livestock, wildlife, birds and road drainage. And single-use plastic waste on UK and Channel Island beaches was up by 9.5% last year, according to beach cleanups.

These days, Archbishop Chong is concerned about deep sea mining and even mining on land where the waste products (tailings) end up in the ocean. He has criticised the power of extractive industries to override Fiji's environmental protections. From the Philippines, Bishop Gerardo Alimane Alminaza of San Carlos has criticized British banks financing liquefied natural gas terminals and fossil gas power plants in the Verde Island Passage. Last month, he visited Europe to call for protection for this small strait that separates the Philippine islands of Luzon and Mindoro. He asked: "we hope we can count on you to join and support us."

The Asia Indigenous People's Network is amongst those calling for an end to oil and gas extraction and seabed mining. And rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels would also help to tackle climate change and mitigate its effects.

Valuing the marine environment

Do we respect our oceans? Columban Eco-theologian Sean McDonagh has described the damage done to oceans as "absolutely horrendous." One example is the destruction of phytoplankton. "People talk about the Amazon and the forests of Central Africa as being the lungs of the world," he says, "but the lungs of the world are phytoplankton; scientists estimate that phytoplankton contribute over 50% of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere."

Ten years ago, the Columbans in Korea hosted a symposium, 'The Ocean and Theology', highlighting that this was a relatively new theme within the world of mission, even though Laudato Si' came out the same year, calling the oceans "the common heritage of the human family." The ocean has been largely ignored in theological reflection and Catholic worship and we must do more about it.

Stop plastic entering the ocean

Scientists forecast that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Already, ocean plastic pollution is harming more than 800 species, including all sea turtle species, more than 40% of marine mammal species, and 44% of seabirds. Marine animals are often trapped in or swallow plastic debris, leading to suffocation, malnutrition, and drowning. And plastic is in the food system. Researchers, in Hong Kong have found microplastic accumulation in green-lipped mussels, a popular seafood species.

The Catholic UN Secretary General António Guterres said last week: "Together, let's end the scourge of plastic pollution and build a better future for us all." In Fiji, Catholic groups are campaigning for investment in a stronger recycling infrastructure to process plastic waste locally and reduce dependence on exports. At Xavier College in Ba, students are leading bottle recycling initiatives - showing how education and grassroots action can create meaningful change.

Fish stocks and marine biodiversity

Human society needs healthy fish stocks and the preservation of ocean biodiversity. Regional fisheries management organizations manage many of the world's commercial fish stocks, including tunas, as well as other highly migratory species, such as swordfish, sharks and rays. But they must challenge the damage large-scale fishing inflicts on non-target wildlife, such as seabirds, marine mammals, and small fish and invertebrates that are critical to the food web.

Building biodiversity conservation management regimes is also vital for achieving the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which was agreed in 2022 under the Convention on Biological Diversity. An effective faith lobby was present at that conference. The UN has helped create a framework for the establishment of high seas marine protected areas, and it must be implemented.

Protecting our life support system

People often think the ocean is too big to break, but ecological collapse, widespread pollution and species extinction are already here. In 2022, for the first time, faith leaders attended the UN Oceans Conference in Portugal to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable and advocate for care for God's creation. A sizable Catholic delegation including Fiji's Archbishop Chong. One of the main advocacy points was to call for a moratorium and ultimately a ban on deep-sea mining.

And Churches are engaging next week with the largest UN Ocean Conference ever in Nice, France, 9-13 June. A multifaith delegation is attending and it will present a declaration, saying: "We must restore a relationship with the ocean that is guided by respect, responsibility, and sustainability." Catholic signatories include: Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Maryknoll Sisters, and Missionary Society of St Columban.

LINKS

Faith in the Ocean: https://bit.ly/faithintheocean

Multifaith Declaration 'Faith in the Ocean' to be presented to the UN Ocean Conference 9-13 June 2025:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OYvyJRvOKT71PFkn6tiN0T4HHatrMitv5BFzFOBI0vE/edit

UN Conference: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/ocean2025

World Ocean Day: https://worldoceanday.org/