Adeniyi made a presentation on the progress African countries have made towards achieving Goal
14 (life below water) of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)at a two-
day Experts Group Meeting for the 2022 African Sustainable Development Goals held in Windhoek
recently.
Besides looking at the progress Africa has made towards achieving the SDGs,the meeting
reviewed and assessedfive of the SDGscontained in the report, including Goal 14. Adeniyi
explained that oceans in Africa have the potential to build climate change resilience, but the
continent faces problems of coastal flooding, coastal erosion, and disruption of coastal economies
and services. He said the report has recommended that for Africa to achieve Goal 14, it should be
aligned to the Africa Agenda.
According to him, Africa has made moderate improvements in the protection and sustainable use
of ocean resources, which has led to improved ocean health, and 70% protection of marine
biodiversity. However, there was little data available on how to assessprogress made regarding
reducing marine pollution from land-based sources as well as the reduction of coastal erosion.
"There is a need to use an ecosystem-based approach," he said.
He further said Angola, as a major oil producing country in Africa, needs to do more on reducing
ocean acidification.
On the sustainable use of fisheries activities, Adeniyi said many countries have done well. He
singled out Mozambique and Gabon as some of the countries that have put in place blue economy
strategies supporting aquaculture.
Adeniyi said for Africa to reduce pressure on marine fishing, there is a need to diversify fishing
with aquaculture. "The diversification of fish resources will achieve sustainability," he said.
On the conservation of marine protected areas, Adeniyi said degradation of protected marine
areas is high in countries such as Ivory Coast, but it was found to be low in The Comoros.
However, he said, good progress has been recorded with regard to curbing illegal fishing from
2018 to 2020. Progress, he said, was mainly recorded in Central Africa and North Africa, where
illegal fishing has greatly been reduced. The report found that across Africa, many countries have
put in place legal instruments to curb illegal fisheries activities.
The report, according to Adeniyi, recommends the need for more finance, data and commitment
to achieve the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. It also recommended that to
move towards an inclusive sustainable development pathway, aquaculture should be developed
and promoted. There is also a need to raise community awareness on the importance of marine
resources.
Furthermore, the report recommends the need to enhance investment in ocean and marine
research institutions as well as ocean system observations, and modelling. Goal 14 calls for the
conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources. The United Nations
established the SDGsin 2015 and they are to be achieved by 2030.
You attended the Experts Group Meeting mentioned above and have you to submit an Information
Report on the ocean health challenges faced by African countries in 2022 to your Environmental
Studies professor. You have decided to focus your report content on (1) Pollution of the ocean
caused by coastal populations, (2) Environmental degradation and disasters at coasts, and (3) Illegal
and unsustainable fishing.
Write this Information Report, showing your report title, as well as the Introduction and Conclusion
sections ONLY. Pay attention to correct format, paragraph structure and the content required for
the Information and Conclusion sections of a report.
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