Sharjah: Conservation Summit explores solutions to preserve oceans and their wildlife

The outlook for ocean conservation got a promising boost Thursday as Xposure International Photography Festival opened its first-ever Conservation Summit under the theme ‘Saving our Oceans’ to explore hope and solutions for safeguarding the precious biodiversity of the global marine ecosystems.

The day-long summit dedicated to ocean conservation and visual storytelling opened at Expo Centre Sharjah in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. Held in partnership with the International League of Conservation Photographers, the summit began with a short video showcasing the incredible beauty and diversity of the ocean’s creatures found across the diverse climatic terrains of the planet.

Addressing a distinguished gathering of conservationists, biologists, ocean explorers, researchers and photographers, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, expressed her appreciation to the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) for drawing attention to a global issue of concern and helping provide active solutions to preserve the oceans and their wildlife.

The Minister also thanked the International League of Conservation Photographers, environmentalists, and scientists participating in Xposure’s Conservation Summit for their efforts in deliberating and formulating solutions to overcome the challenges facing the planet.

Almheiri, said: “The focus on oceans at the Conservation Summit is an apt choice, as oceans are the largest and most important ecosystem of our planet. Three quarters of our planet is covered by oceans; they are the world’s largest carbon sinks; and the source of livelihood for hundreds of millions of people globally.”

The Minister pointed out that increasing threats of pollution, high acidic levels, and rise in temperatures are depleting oceans of their wealth of resources and endangering the lives of millions who directly or indirectly depend on it for their existence. She emphasised the importance of concerted global efforts to accelerate and implement sustainable solutions to achieve Goal 14 (Life Below Water) of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, pointing out that failure to do so would place the world in grave danger of losing one of the key resources essential for human existence.

She added, "The UAE’s marine environment has a very high biodiversity and our awareness of the economic, social and environmental importance of this marine wealth has led us to implement numerous measures to preserve and safeguard the sustainability of its resources, and address issues that impact ocean health.”

The Minister highlighted the various measures initiated by the UAE to protect its marine environment, including regulating fishing activities, expanding the aquaculture industry, establishing marine protected areas, combating marine pollution, conservation of endangered marine species, and rehabilitating impacted marine areas.

She pointed out that the UAE’s goal to expand its mangrove cover from 30 million to 100 million trees by 2030 has contributed in strengthening the resilience of the country’s marine environment, and maintaining its global leadership in the Marine Protected Areas category of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

Photographs capture distress calls of oceans

National Geographic explorers Brian Skerry, David Doubilet, Jennifer Hayes, Jeffrey Garriock, and Laurent Ballesta, who have witnessed the beauty and the devastation happening across all ocean ecosystems and have accumulated more than 80,000 hours combined underwater documenting changes, shared their inspiring experiences with audiences at the summit.