When you read the phrase ‘ocean conservation’ what images come up in your mind? A mighty blue whale? Cute penguins from our recent Antarctica trip? Maybe some fish swimming in a colourful coral reef?
Animals like whales, sharks and turtles have been icons of the mainstream ocean protection movement for decades. After all, they live in the ocean we’re trying to protect and are facing grave threats to the future of their species. And they happen to be very cute!
However, there’s another species that relies on healthy oceans, but isn’t always mentioned in conversations around ocean conservation and that’s… humans!
How humans depend on the ocean
More than three billion people rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, the vast majority of which are in the Global South. The ocean provides coastal communities with jobs in small-scale fishing, a practice that has been passed down through generations, as well as newer industries, like tourism. The oceans also keep us fed. Seafood is a key part of billions of people’s diets, and many people rely on it to survive.
Communities all over the world have deep cultural and spiritual connections to the ocean, and many Indigenous Peoples in particular have put the sea at the centre of community life for centuries.