Ocean economy sustains livelihoods and ecosystems

THE theme for World Oceans Day 2025, celebrated annually on June 8, is ‘Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us’.

- DR FRANCIS VORHIES

The hosts, the United Nations (UN) Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, introduces this theme as follows: The ocean is our world’s greatest wonder, a seemingly endless source of sustenance, potential, wisdom, and awe. From the marine life that produces our oxygen, medicines, and food, to its natural infrastructures that sequester carbon and buffer shores, every diverse element of the ocean — across both its biodiversity and composition — supports humanity in a multitude of ways.

The wonder of the ocean’s support for humanity, and hence the need to use its resources sustainability is also a core theme of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference following on from the Oceans Day event immediately in Nice, France. A highlight of the Conference will be an action panel on advancing sustainable ocean-based economies and coastal community resilience.

Economy

The concept paper prepared by the UN Secretariat for this panel contains information on the economic contribution of the oceans which could only be described as wonderful:

™@ The ocean economy is about 4% of the global economy doubling over the last two decades and growing at a faster rate than the rest of the global economy.

@ If the ocean were a country, it would rank alongside France and the UK as one of the largest economies in the world with a value of at least $2.6 trillion.

@ At least 600 million livelihoods depend on the ocean economy.