South Coast festival ushers in World Oceans Day

from FUTHI MBHELE in Durban KwaZulu NatalBureau DURBAN, (CAJ News) SCOTTBURGH, in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, will make history when it holds the local leg of the first global World Ocean Festival.The festival starts today (Monday), ending on Sunday.

The South Coast is a befitting host as it boasts the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in the country.Russel Symcox, the Oceans Festival founder, expressed excitement at hosting the event, in celebration of World Oceans Day.

The day, marked on June 8, encourages people to acknowledge and understand the importance of the oceans.”There’s a lot of amazing work already being done in ocean conservation but we all have a role to play.

Through the Ocean Festival, we hope to ignite a collective movement that preserves this life-giving force,” Symcox said.Announced by the United Nations (UN) recently, the inaugural Ocean Festival includes a series of global events that aim to engage with communities, educate about the importance of conservation, and inspire people to take action to protect the world’s oceans.

ttendees to this year’s Ocean Festival can look forward to several engaging outdoor events and activities suited to all ages.Activities aim to celebrate the human connection with the ocean, and raise awareness about the importance of its health and protection.

World Oceans Day will be held under the theme, “Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing.”Global leaders are this week scheduled to meet at the UN for a major conference on the protection and sustainable use of the planet’s oceans.

The ocean covers over 70 percent of the planet and produces at least 50 percent of the planet’s oxygen.The ocean is the main source of protein for more than 1 billion people and is key to economies, with an estimated 40 million employed by ocean-based industries by 2030. CAJ News

Source: CAJ News Agency