8 June marks the celebration of World Oceans Day, and represents an opportunity to honour the world's oceans and highlight the many ways in which they contribute to society.
Following 16 years of de facto celebration on after a proposal from the Canadian government at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, World Oceans Day became a permanent calendric fixture in 2009 after being given the green light by the UN General Assembly. Since then, under the guidance of The Ocean Project and World Ocean Network, World Oceans Day has swollen into a pan-continental event pulling in more than 200 organizations from over 50 countries annually to take part in a day dedicated to all things oceanic.
The theme this year is "Together we have the power to protect the ocean", and the organizers are asking people around the world to make a promise for the oceans.
At ICES, we are constantly reminded of the significance of our planets oceans, the surrounding coastal areas, and the plethora of life they support, and our work continues to provide the platform from which others can make decisions to protect, sustain and manage these vital natural resources.
Everyone at ICES wishes you a Happy World Oceans Day! We promise to continue our work for sustainable oceans.
