His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s unwavering commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) – Life Below Water – at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), calling on global partners to act collectively and decisively to safeguard ocean health.
The UNOC3, convened pursuant to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 77/242 (2023), aims to accelerate global efforts to realize SDG 14, which is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources.
Delivering a keynote intervention during a high-level debate, President Bio emphasized that the ocean, our planet’s life source, is in distress.
“The ocean, which connects the world, is sending distress signals that we can no longer ignore,” he warned.
He described the conference as not only a platform to discuss policy challenges but also a moment of existential reckoning, noting that “the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution has converged most dramatically in the ocean.”
President Bio underscored alarming statistics, including the overexploitation or depletion of 90 percent of large fish species and the rapid disappearance of coral reefs, often referred to as “the rainforests of the sea.”
Turning to regional concerns, President Bio shed light on the grave challenges faced by West Africa, revealing that the region has become the epicenter of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. He disclosed that Sierra Leone loses an estimated $50 million annually to IUU fishing, resources that could otherwise be invested in education, healthcare, and food security.
“We must recognize that implementing Sustainable Development Goal 14 is not a luxury, and certainly not optional. It is an urgent necessity for our economies, our ecosystems, and ultimately, for our survival,” the President asserted.
In a bold move to reinforce Sierra Leone’s Ocean edition sustainability agenda, President Bio announced three ambitious national commitments: to expand marine protected areas to preserve biodiversity and restore marine ecosystems; to restore at least 30,000 hectares of mangrove forests, critical for coastal protection and carbon sequestration; and to launch a nationwide campaign to reduce plastic pollution by 50 percent by the end of this decade.
He concluded by urging global cooperation to ensure the success of SDG 14, emphasizing that the time for bold, collective action is now.
“Let us work together to take the bold actions needed to secure a sustainable future for our oceans and our planet,” President Bio declared.
