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• 23 Nov

Briefing Note ｜

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John Ruthven, Producer of the Blue Planet, pretends to be a humpback whale, wearing headphones to protect himself from dangerous sonar waves that disrupt his migratory patterns

“Sustainable Ocean Day: Ocean Voices” was held on 23 November 2018 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on the sidelines of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The event provided a unique forum for diverse ocean stakeholders and partners to share stories conveying a range of “voices,” such as those of coral reefs, mangroves/seagrass, deep-sea habitats, marine mammals/migratory species and fish, together with the voice of ocean peoples whose life is closely inter-connected with marine and coastal biodiversity.

Different ocean stakeholders represented these voices and delivered their stories in non-conventional formats, such as virtual reality, film, poetry, music and performances to inspire delegates bold action on ocean conservation.

The event also provided an opportunity for different actors to share experiences that address the challenges facing marine and coastal biodiversity. In this regard, a digital platform was also established to capture different ocean voices around the world and highlight information, experiences and lessons learned, with a view to creating an alliance of “Ocean Voices” to inform the process for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

This one-day event was convened by the CBD Secretariat, with financial support from the Government of Republic of Korea, the Government of Sweden, the European Union, and the French Agency for Biodiversity, in collaboration with various international partners The informal gathering brought together around 150 delegates from multiple backgrounds.

Opening Session

Delegates gather for the opening of the Sustainable Ocean Day

Moderator Joseph Appiott, CBD Secretariat

Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat

Peter Thomson, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean

Hoon-geun Kim, Republic of Korea

Moustafa Fouda, Minister Advisor on Biodiversity, Egypt

Cyrille Barnerias, French Agency for Biodiversity

Jihyun Lee, Coordinator for Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, CBD Secretariat

Voices of Coral Reefs

Participants play an interactive game show on biology, ecosystem services, threats, and interventions in relation to coral reefs

Susan Lieberman, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

Rowenna Trevellyan, The Ocean Agency, and Claire Rumsey, International Coral Reef Initiative

Members of the audience participate in the game

Voices from the Deep Sea

David Johnson, the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, dressed as an acorn worm, invites participants to jump on board his submarine to explore the deep sea

John Ruthven, Producer of the Blue Planet

David Johnson, the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative

Diva Amon, Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative

Xavier Sticker, Ambassador for the Environment, and Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France

Creatures from the deep sea

Voices from Marine Mammals/Migratory Species

Carolina Hazin, BirdLife International, dressed as 'Shirley, a Cory's Shearwater,' invites participants to 'take flight' in understanding migratory species

David Johnson, the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, dressed as a hammerhead shark

Participants watch a mockumentary about the migratory path of a plastic bag

Daniela Diz, World Wildlife Fund, dressed as a manta ray

Carolina Hazin, BirdLife International

Participants play an interactive game demonstrating how migratory species are impacted by shipping routes, fishing activities, and plastic pollution

Plastic debris collecting in the ocean poses a serious threat to marine animals

A manta ray finds safety in a marine protected area

Voices of Fish

Kim Friedman, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)

Jake Rice, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Kate Brown, Global Island Partnership (GLISPA)

Hagi Yulia Sugeha, Research Center for Oceanography-Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia

Voices of Mangroves/Seagrass

Mae Bruton Adams, The Nature Conservancy – Pacific

Tamara Thomas, The Nature Conservancy

Lilian Mwihaki, Kenyan Marine and Fisheries Institute

Voices of Ocean People

A song about a sea sponge for children from the Arctic

Vivienne Solís Rivera, CoopeSoliDar R.L, ICCA Consortium and International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)

Sanda Anjara Rakotomalala and Henri Rakotoson Tafo Mihaavo, Madagascar

Participants from islands around the world

Closing Session

Humberto Delgado Rosa, European Commission

Alain de Comarmond, Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Seychelles

Tomas Anker Christensen, Chief Advisor to the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Ocean

Vera Agostini, FAO

Purificació Canals, Network of Mediterranean Marine Protected Area Managers (MedPAN)

Cristiana Pașca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary

Delegates give Jihyun Lee, Coordinator for Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, CBD Secretariat, a standing ovation