Every year without fail, Malta’s shores overflow with beach lovers catching some rays and snorkelers on the lookout for the next big hidden gem at the bottom of our seas.
Unfortunately, many are not aware of the hidden struggles our seas are facing, and it has thus become increasingly evident that ocean literacy is key to protecting our marine ecosystems.
Alan Deidun, a leading marine biologist and Malta’s Ocean Ambassador, spoke to Euronews about this issue.
Image credit: Euronews
Alan noted that most people are detached from issues our seas and oceans are facing, and thus it is only though educational programmes that said gap can be bridged.
The Malta National Aquarium has, in fact, developed a programme in the shape of a free guided snorkelling tour in hopes of addressing this issue.
“As we know, Europe has a blue growth strategy that we need to generate more economic activity from the sea. But we must make sure that that is done sustainably,” Alan told Euronews.
“One way of doing that is to have more ocean literacy, not just for Joe citizen, for the man in the street, but also for policymakers because you would be amazed that some policymakers actually are very ocean illiterate,” he continued.
Thais Amaral, an Education Officer at the Malta National Aquarium, went on to explain that “the sea is in trouble, and unfortunately, people are not aware.”
Image credit: Euronews
“You can have all of the beauty that there is. You can see how amazing all of these animals are. But at the same time, there’s something that we need to do about it, especially for the younger generations,” he concluded.
Main images: Euronews