Unesco is asking the international community to invest in scientific research to defend oceans that are increasingly threatened by pollution and warming. This is what Unesco's director general, Audrey Azoulay, claimed yesterday at the opening of the Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona. The idea that improving knowledge will facilitate the protection of the oceans has been one of the constants in the most political interventions of the inauguration.
"Much has been done for the oceans, but much remains to be done and can be done. And for that, we must continue to invest in science. We know that it is a difficult time of crisis, with wars and division of the international community; but if there is one thing that can unite us, and must unite us, it is the ocean", defended Azoulay.
An example: only 15% of the ocean floors have been mapped, and missions to track them are far fewer in number than space travel.
Until Friday, Barcelona is hosting the Ocean Decade Conference, a Unesco initiative, in which around 1,500 scientists, representatives of states and social organizations are participating. The meeting should serve to exchange and update research on the oceans. The European Copernicus Observatory announced on Tuesday that the temperature of the oceans, the main regulators of the climate and which cover 70% of the Earth, reached a new absolute record in March with an average of 21.07°C on the surface (excluding the areas near the poles). And more than 90% of the planet's oceans will have experienced heat waves at some point in the year. "Our seas are suffocating from heat. Every year we register negative temperature records", lamented Azoulay.
In a similar vein, the Sovereign Prince of Monaco, Albert II, expressed himself: "Some may think that our century is experiencing more serious, more urgent and deeper crises than those affecting the oceanic ecosystem, but what brings us here today it is crucial for our future”.
The president of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, referred to the numerous threats that hover over the oceans, such as illegal fishing, migration or human trafficking, and highlighted the importance of this meeting as " catalyst for commitments" to safeguard the safety of the oceans. "The challenge to which we must respond is to know whether or not we are equipped with the appropriate answers", he pointed out. "We need to understand how our ocean works in order to save it. Unlocking the mysteries of the Mari kingdom is the key," said Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Seychelles.
Mark Brown, president of the Cook Islands, regretted that the oceans are one of the areas in which less is invested in research. And for this reason, he asked to increase investments so that the rulers can make "well-informed decisions based on scientific evidence".
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, stressed that the Catalan capital has applied to host a center linked to Unesco dedicated to the activities of the maritime economy, a proposal that received the support of the Minister of Science, Diana Morant, who put the CSIC's public investment in marine sciences at 110 million by 2024.
President Pere Aragonès said that he trusts that this conference will "help to shake consciences". After three days of the conference, a declaration is expected to come out that, although it will not be binding for the countries, will set the scientific criteria for future forums, such as the Nice conference in 2025.
