It was officially recognized by the United Nations in late 2008. It has been coordinated since 2003 by The Ocean Project, with greater participation each year.
It has therefore, been an annual observation to honour the world's oceans, celebrate the products the ocean provides such as seafood as well as marine life itself for aquariums, pets, and a time to appreciate its own intrinsic value. The ocean also provides sea-lanes for international trade.
Global pollution and over-consumption of fish have resulted in drastically dwindling population of the majority of species. World Oceans Day also provides a unique opportunity to take personal and community action to conserve the ocean and its resources.
In Africa’s discourse today, oceans are rarely on the agenda. The main reason for the apparent disinterest in the sea seems to stem from cultural beliefs and the political neglect of coastal communities. Sadly this trend has stuck to this day and has led to the coastal communities featuring less in the economic and political decision-making on the continent.
But there has been a lack of awareness about the ocean in Africa generally. To the continent’s economic and political thinkers, the oceans represent exotic beach hotels to lure tourists for fishing excursions.
But there is much more to the ocean space than tourism and artisanal fisheries. Currently the economic benefits accruing from the resources in the Indian Ocean shelf are heavily skewed in favour of foreign nations, showing the power matrix.
The seven western Indian Ocean island and coastal states of Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and Tanzania sharing the Indian ocean rim are not deriving the benefits they should from the vast expanse of their ocean wealth.
Endowed with scenic spots and being a magnet for high-end tourists and celebrities, the Western Indian Ocean is a region of great contrasts. While Seychelles and Mauritius are classified as middle-income nations and enjoy higher living standards, one would expect the same for the coastal communities in the mainland nations.
Ironically, this is not the case. The coastal communities of the mainland nations rank high in the poverty index and are the exact opposite of their island neighbours. Tanzania, Mozambique and Kenya’s coastal communities are among the poorest in the region.
The recent discoveries of offshore oil and gas in Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania and Kenya have seen the ocean turning into a game-changer, increasing their visibility and also generating interest.
These hydrocarbon finds have increased attention on the oceans, which had hitherto been ignored and are now being viewed as a strategic asset in the region. Incidentally, though the mindset of the Indian Ocean is changing among African policy makers, the benefits still favour other continents.
In the same vein, authorities in north-eastern Tanzania’s Tanga Region have embarked on a campaign geared to prepare local communities on how they can explore benefits embedded in the conning crude oil pipeline project.
The move came when Tanzania and Uganda agreed to build a $4 billion pipeline to transport crude oil from Kabale in Uganda to Tanga port in the Indian Ocean. Upon completion, the project is envisaged to create 15,000 jobs during its execution.
Also Tanzania benefits greatly from tourists visiting the Serengeti and whale-watching in the Indian Ocean, which is already an International Whaling Commission (IWC) designated whale sanctuary. There are more than 40 Tanzanian whale watching boats operating in the Indian Ocean.
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